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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



THE 



Cramps of fntatej; 

ILLUSTRATED BY THE 

LIFE 

OF 

ADAM CLARKE, LL.D. 



" Industry, order, and early rising, will enable a man to go through a 
great deal of work." 

"You remember, my dear lad, my motto is — be diligent, lose no 
time." Dr. Adam Clarke's Letter to his Son. 



ZA 
. A. 



J^ilabelpfeta: *■ 



AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION, 

No. 316 CHESTNUT STREET. 









Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, by the 

AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION, 

in the Cleric's Office of the District Court of the Eastern District of 

Pennsylvania. 



4®=* No books are published by the American Sunday-School Union 
without the sanction of the Committee of Publication, consisting of four- 
teen members, from the following denominations of Christians, viz. Bap- 
tist, Methodist, Congregational, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and 
Reformed Dutch. Not more than three of the members can be of the same 
denomination, and no book can be published to which any member of the 
Committee shaU object. 



PREFACE. 



The material from which this volume has been 
written was obtained from " The Memoirs of Adam 
Clarke," by himself and a member of his family ; 
" Everett's Adam Clarke Portrayed \" " Everett's Wes- 
leyan Takings;" "The Life of Mrs. Adam Clarke;" 
" Dunn's Life of Adam Clarke;" "West's Sketches of 
Wesley an Preachers ;" various articles in the " Wes- 
leyan Methodist Magazines," and numerous sermons in 
the possession of the writer, preached on the occasion 
of Dr. Clarke's death, by co-labourers and friends. 
The author has also consulted " Grindrod's Laws and 
Regulations of Wesleyan Methodism," for a know- 
ledge of that peculiar church economy with which 
Dr. Clarke was so intimately connected, and has given 
to the readers the advantage of the facts obtained from 
it, to enable them better to understand the biography. 



His greatest indebtedness is to the " Memoirs," " The 
Portraiture," and " Mrs. Clarke's Life" — and about 
equally to the first two. Mr. Everett was, for twenty 
years, one of Dr. Clarke's confidential friends ; and 
his manuscript was revised, he informs us, by one 
of Dr. Clarke's daughters. He writes with the 
warmth of personal friendship, and the evident integ- 
rity of the Christian historian. 

While we have thus spared no pains in collecting 
all the facts which have been printed in England that 
would throw light upon the character of the eminent 
commentator, — a valuable part of which has never be- 
fore been published in this country, — we have en- 
deavoured to present them in a manner adapted to 
the youth of the United States. We hope the freedom 
of style, in the use of illustrations, will not render the 
work less acceptable to adult readers. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

EARLY PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TRAITS. 

PAGE. 

Adam Clarke's birth-place — His father and mother. 
Early Physical Traits — Original endowments — Taught 
to work at an early age — An early riser — Fondness for 
fishing. Mental Characteristics — An incident of the 
school-room — His first school-house — His library — His 
strong desire for knowledge 13 

CHAPTER II. 

EARLY MORAL AND RELIGIOUS TRAINING. 

Morning and evening prayers — Anecdote of J. Q. Adams — 
The parental discipline — An incident of his early convic- 
tion — A little companion — The conversation — Deep feel- 
ing — The different view of his feelings by his father and 
mother — Adam Clarke's subsequent opinion of early re- 
ligious convictions 23 

CHAPTER III. 

THE GREAT CHANGE. 

Removes to Ballyaherton — The house in which he spent 
his boyhood— The " Old Church"— The " New Church" 
— Impressive incidents — The lost knife — A deception — 
Providential escapes — The " False Lights" — Apparent 
drowning — A scene on the North Channel — A novel 
preacher — Conviction for sin — Diligence in business — A 
temporary error — The crisis — The change 28 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE IMMEDIATE FRUIT OF THE GREAT CHANGE. 

Adam seeks the conversion of others — Missionary excur- 
sions — Labour for the children — Parents thereby affected 
— An old man's recollections — An humble chapel — Adam 

7 



CONTENTS. 



apprenticed to a linen merchant — Labour for Christ's sake 
— Rebukes sin — His integrity tried, and unshaken — An 
incident — Returns to his parents — His employer's resi- 
dence — A brief review of the change, and its fruits 42 



CHAPTER V. 

PROVIDENTIAL GUIDANCE TO THE MINISTRY. 

Early rising, studies, and labour — An incident of his first 
attempt to preach — Conflict of mind — Choice of a text — 
A severe trial of faith — Leaves home for Kingswood 
School, England — The sea-voyage — The press-gang — An 
incident of a stage ride — His disappointment on arriving 
at Kingswood — A story of a guinea — The first Hebrew 
grammar — Another trial of conscience — His first inter- 
view with Rev. John Wesley — His qualifications for the 
work of a minister of the gospel — His absorbing desire 
to do good — The providence of God observed in lead- 
ing him to the ministry — Promptings of the Holy Spirit. 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE MINISTRY COMMENCED. 

The labours of the Wesleys and Whitefield — A glance at 
the formation of the Wesleyan connection — The Bradford 
circuit — Frequent preaching — Studies on horseback — 
Induced to renounce the study of Latin and Greek — Mr. 
Wesley's advice — ^Feelings in reference to preaching — 
His apparent youth — The effect of a sermon at Roads — 
A reminiscence of that sermon— A curious history of his 
pocket Bible — His texts — Abandons, for life, the use of 
tea and coffee — Attends the conference at Bristol 

CHAPTER VII. 

TOILS, PRIVATIONS, AND SUCCESS. 

Removes to the Norwich circuit — Privations — Damp beds 
— Coarse fare — Small salary — An inhospitable recep- 
tion — The benefit of keeping the Sabbath holy — An inci- 
dent — The Sabbath breaker warned — Success, his sup- 
port — An illustration, the pioneer of our " Great West" — ■ 
Remarkable answer to prayer — Removes to the St. An- 
stell circuit — Two persecutors disarmed — Mr. Clarke's 
popularity as a preacher — The conversion of the cele- 
brated Samuel Drew — His remarks concerning Clarke — 
Preaches to the quarrymen — Preaching refused at Trego 



CONTENTS. y 

PAGE 

— The manner of prosecuting his studies — Mr. Clarke 
and the shoemaker — Incessant labour — An opposer foiled 
— A timely loan of Kennicott's Hebrew Bible 72 

CHAPTER VIII. 

MISSIONARY LABOUR. 

Sent to the Norman Isles— Commences preaching at St. 
Hellier's, in Jersey — An escape from a mob — Another 
mob — Shameful conduct of a magistrate — The truth tri- 
umphs — His love for souls — Visit to the Island of Al- 
derney — A primitive introduction — His cordial reception 
at Alderney — Conduct of the " Gentry" — Instability of 
popular favour — "A brand plucked from the burning" 
— Mr. Wesley's visit to the Norman Isles — Mr. Clarke's 
marriage to Miss Mary Cooke — Opposition from Miss 
Cooke's mother — Mr. Clarke's subsequent family — Clean- 
liness next to godliness; an incident — The reader intro- 
duced to Mr. Clarke's study — His Polyglott Bible — The 
extraordinary way in which it was obtained — Ill-health. 87 

CHAPTER IX. 

CONSTANCY OF PURPOSE IN AFFLICTION. 

A compliment from Mr. Wesley — The Bristol circuit — " In 
labours more abundant" — Mrs. Clarke — Mr. Clarke's 
opinion of frequent preaching — Visits the sick — An old 
pilgrim — A gilt from an eccentric minister — Mr. Clarke's 
library — Removes to Dublin — Personal and family afflic- 
tions — Extreme Destitution — The " Stranger's Friend 
Society" — Becomes a student in Dublin Medical College 
— His knowledge of anatomy — Mr. Clarke at a book auc- 
tion 101 

CHAPTER X. 

CHANGES AND INCIDENTS. 

The death of the Rev. John Wesley — The consequent 
change in the government of the Societies — The " Deed 
of Declaration" — Ill-health of Mr. Clarke and his family 
Death of a little son — An encouraging incident — A hasty 
spirit reproved — A story — Total abstinence — His opinion 
of the sale of strong drink — Political excitements — Re- 
moves to Liverpool — An uncomfortable residence — The 
imprisoned leaf— Mr. Clarke attacked by two ruffians, 
and nearly killed — Great success in preaching — Mrs. 
Clarke's assistance in visiting the sick 112 



10 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XL 

THE PULPIT AND THE FAMILY. 

PAGE. 

Removal to London — Commencement of the Commentary 
— Pastoral labour — Frequent and long walks — Mr. 
Clarke's preaching — A pulpit scene — A family picture 
— Another glance at Mr. Clarke at home — The conver- 
sion (if Mr. and Mrs. Butterworth — A tract on "The Use 
and Abuse of Tobacco" — Removal to Bristol circuit, 1798 
— Publishes "Sturm's Reflections" and other works — 
Removes to Liverpool, 1801 — Feelings at the age of forty 
— The conversion of a distinguished scholar — Painful 
sickness — Induced by too much labour — A visit to his 
sick room — Renews his labours with characteristic en- 
ergy 120 

CHAPTER XII. 

UNSOUGHT HONOURS. 

A vein of pleasantry — A delinquent class-member reproved 
— The man who was "Rich and a Bachelor" — The erring 
steward — A valuable cheese — Mr. Clarke outgeneralled — 
Literary labours — Honour from " The Philological So- 
ciety" — The death of little Agnes, Mr. Clarke's daugh- 
ter — His removal to London, 1805 — His financial ac- 
counts kept by Mrs. Clarke — Multiplied engagements — 
Made President of the Conference — A committee of the 
British and Foreign Bible Society — Labours for the Bi- 
ble Society — Corresponds with Robert Morrison — Lite- 
rary honours from King's College, Aberdeen — Other lite- 
rary distinctions — His feelings in reference to these 
honours — Additional publications — Engages in the " Re- 
cord Commission" — The use to be made of honours 
from men 133 

CHAPTER XIII. 



The Arabic Bible and Tartar New Testament published — 
A complimentary expression from the Bible Committee 
— Labours in the Record Commission — His opinion of 
Hume's history — A curious item of English history — 
Dr. Clarke's opinion of the Papal Church — A dignified 
official — Unenriched by his services for the Government. 
— The Commentary — All his studies made to bear upon 



CONTENTS. 11 

PAGE. 

that enterprise — its publication undertaken by Mr. But- 
terwortb — The manner in -which it was written — The 
deep solicitude which it cost — His feelings at its com- 
pletion — A touching tribute of respect from his children 
— An incident, having a relation to the Commentary — 
Objectors to the work answered kindly 146 

CHAPTER XIV. 

LABOURS MORE ABUNDANT. 

Elected librarian of the Surrey Institute — Publishes "Har- 
mer's Observation" — Other publications — A great enter- 
prise projected — Anecdotes of Dr. Clarke's love for the 
Bible — Second time President of the Conference — Anec- 
dotes of Dr. Clarke and the tobacco users — Labours for 
the Wesleyan Missionary Society — Occasional Sermons 
— A reproof — Reminiscences — Dr. Clarke at fifty-five 
years of age 155 

CHAPTER XV. 

RETIRED, BUT NOT RESTING. 

Resolves to leave London — Removes to Millbrook — Culti- 
vates his land — Kindness to animals — A petted donkey — 
The painted cross — His evenings at Millbrook — A chapel 
for the poor — A Sunday-school — Causes of the attendance 
of the poor — Dr. Clarke's daughters become colporteurs 
— The poor sailors "warmed and clothed" — Dr. Clarke 
and his wife's shopping-money — The coronation honour- 
ed — Two high-priests of Budhoo— The occasion of their 
voyage to England — Placed under the instruction of 
Dr. Clarke — Their instruction — Their surprise at seeing 
enow and ice — They are baptized, and admitted to the 
Christian Church — Their return to Ceylon — A letter from 
the son of the elder priest — Dr. Clarke a third time Pre- 
sident of the Conference 164 

CHAPTER XVI. 

THE PALACE OP THE GREAT, AND THE COTTAGE OF THE POOR. 

Dr. Clarke settles in Eastcott — Temporary chapel — Sunday- 
school — The new chapel — The Duke of Sussex — The 
duke's Bibliographical library — He invites Dr. Clarke to 
visit him — The visit — A second visit to the duke — The 
duke returns the visits of Dr. Clarke — The levee — Dr. 
Clarke's acquaintance with English bishops — A liberal 
neighbour— Watch-Night 177 



12 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XVIL 

AN APPROPRIATE, LAST LABOUR. 

PAGE. 

Shetland Islands — A mission to them begun — Dr. Clarke 
has the responsibility for it — A tour in behalf of Shet- 
land — A noble donor — Tracts for " Good Little Girls" — 
A visit to the Shetland Islands — Dr. Clarke's solicitude 
for Shetland — Irish free schools — The first school — A 
new difficulty — Encouraging results-^-Dr. Clarke's visit 
to Ireland — Sunday-schools — Plan of proceeding — A 
second visit to the Irish schools 185 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

A MORE FAMILIAR ACQUAINTANCE. 

Dr. Clarke's personal appearance — His scholarship — His 
memory — His library of printed books; their value — 
His manuscript library; its value — The museum — Dr. 
Clarke's travelling library — The means by which his 
library and museum were obtained — Dr. Clarke's fre- 
quent preaching — His character as a preacher — His 
popularity — The relation of his study of the Bible to 
his preaching — Habits of preparation for the pulpit — 
Manner of handling his texts — The great secret of his 
pulpit power — His favourite themes in the pulpit — His 
manner in preaching — Dr. Clarke's habitual kindness — 
A happy turn of an awkward incident— The young lady 
and the roasted potato — Feeling towards friends — Love 
for children — Letter to a grandson — Dr. Clarke's plea- 
santry — His wife could keep a secret — The secret of Dr. 
Clarke's success — His industry — Eminent testimonies of 
his industry — His promptness — An anecdote illustrating 
it — His love of order illustrated — Early rising enforced 
— An anecdote — Dr. Clarke's example may be imitated.. 197 

CHAPTER XIX. 

THE CLOSING SCENE. 

The testimony of Dr. Clarke's last years — The seasons of 
his life — Continued love for the Bible — Recollections — 
He did not hope to be saved by what he had done — 
The testimony of the poet Montgomery — Dr. Clarke at 
the Wesleyan Conference — Leaves for home on account 
of the prevalence of the cholera — Settles his business — 
His last attendance at the family altar — His last inter- 
view with his children and grand-children — Parting mo- 
ments at Hayden Hall — Attacked by cholera — The clos- 
ing scene 214 



LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 



CHAPTER I. 

EARLY PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TRAITS. 

Adam Clarke's birth-place— His father and mother. Early 
Physical Traits — Original endowments — Taught to -work at 
an early age — An early riser — Fondness for fishing. Men- 
tal Characteristics — An incident of the school-room — His 
first school-house — His library — His strong desire for know- 
ledge. 

Adam Clarke was born in Ireland, near 
the waters of the North Channel, in the county 
of Londonderry, and in the obscure village of 
Maybeg. It is remarkable that his parents 
differed in their recollection of the year of his 
birth, his father thinking that he was born in 
1762, and his mother believing it to have been 
in 1760 ; and this last there is every reason to 
conclude is the true date. 

The ruins of the stone house in which he 
was born remained in his manhood. It was 
situated on the side of a well-cultivated hill. 
" The open plain at the foot of the hill, the 
mountains on each side in the distance, and 
the river winding its way between them," were 
2 13 



14 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

very picturesque to the mind of the youth, and 
were spoken of by him in later years with great 
vivacity. 

His father descended from a good family, 
and was well educated, having graduated at 
the Glasgow University with honour, and was 
considered a superior scholar. Being disap- 
pointed of attaining a place in the ministry of 
the established church, he adopted the labo- 
rious occupation of a teacher, which he pursued 
through life. 

The mother of Adam Clarke was of Scotch 
descent. Her son says, " she was not a beauty, 
but she was a sensible woman — rather above 
the average height — had an air of peculiar 
gracefulness in her movements — appearing ra- 
ther to glide along than to walk, and was as 
straight in her old age as in her prime." 

There was one son, Tracy, older than Adam, 
who became somewhat distinguished as a sur- 
geon in the English navy, — and three daugh- 
ters. 

The father of Adam Clarke seems to have 
been a man of genuine piety, but not sympa- 
thetic in his nature, and a stern disciplinarian. 
He had high notions of the authority of the 
parent and teacher. He did not so much per- 
suade as command. 

His mother was not less pious, nor had she 
a lower standard of parental government, but 
with her strictness she used some devices to se- 
cure obedience to her rules. 



EARLY TRAITS. 15 

But before looking at the moral training of 
the son in the hands of his parents, let us ex- 
amine his natural traits as exhibited in child- 
hood. The formation of the character is, 
under God, the work of education. The capa- 
city of the mind is God's gift, who distributes 
the measure with wonderful diversity and in 
infinite wisdom. A knowledge of his original 
endowments is absolutely necessary, in judg- 
ing how far any man may be a fair example to 
others. We shall endeavour to put the reader 
in possession, to the extent of our materials, of 
this knowledge. As we are now speaking of a 
child, it will suit well the present period of the 
narrative to refer to him by his Christian 
name. 

Adam had, in childhood, excellent health. 
He inherited a good constitution. God gave 
him a sound body, and he took as much care 
of it as was possible, consistently with hard 
study and incessant labour. He began to walk 
at the age of eight months, and a month later 
ran in the field near the house after his father. 
As he was not a petted child, he learned habits 
of hardihood at this tender age. 

As he advanced in years, he manifested a 
love for manly exercises. These developed the 
bodily strength. But from an early age he 
did not need sport of any kind as exercise. 
The circumstances of his father, who was de- 
pendent upon his daily labour for the means of 
maintaining his family, required the help of 



16 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

his sons on a small farm, on which he laboured 
in the intervals of the school-hours. 

From the first, Adani loved to work. He re- 
marked, on one occasion in after life, " There has 
not been a day since I was eight years of age, in 
which I have not done something to get my 
bread. I have known nothing but labour from 
my boyhood ; the bread of idleness was never 
eaten by me. At seven years of age my father 
sent me out to watch the cows ; soon after that, 
I was ordered to the mountains to help to shear 
the sheep. At twelve, I held the plough in a 
field near my father's house, which we farmed; 
and, as a proof that I was not over and above 
strong, the ploughshare coming into contact 
with a stone which lay under the surface of the 
earth, threw me up between the shafts which I 
had been holding with firm grasp, and sent me 
with violence among the horses' feet. Little 
as my hand was, I could take it full of wheat, 
and, with the sheet wrapped around me, could 
scatter the seed over the soil, — yes, and have 
as good and regular crops, too, as any of my 
neighbours. I was probably made hard, and to 
use my limbs at an early period, that my body 
might strengthen by exercise; for I had need 
of all the strength and fortitude I possessed." 

Few men have accomplished much in life, 
who have wasted the early hours of the day in 
sleep. A fixed habit of early rising, so as to 
become a part of a man's daily experience 
through life, must be formed in youth. The 



EARLY TRAITS. 17 

father of Adam called his family from their 
beds at four o'clock in summer, and long be- 
fore daylight in winter, and gave each his por- 
tion of labour with which to commence the day. 
But his father was too well acquainted with 
the nature of the youthful mind to require in- 
cessant toil. Such amusements were allowed 
as were not injurious to the mind, and might 
benefit the health. 

Adam was very fond of fishing. Standing, 
when an old man, on a rock projecting into the 
sea, not far from the residence of his boyhood, he 
exclaimed, " On this rock, when a boy, I used to 
fish. There," pointing to a hollow in the rock, 
" I beat the shell-fish, and taking up the pounded 
substance, fish and shell, I went farther down, 
sowed it like seed upon the water, deliberately 
walking up again, when shoals of fish were accus- 
tomed to follow: then I had nothing to do but 
take my lines and draw them out. Here, too, 
I was once bathing, and, coming out of the 
water, I fell back, and cut my leg in different 
places, the scars of which I carry with me to 
this day." 

At eight years of age, when many children, 
not afterward distinguished, show great quick- 
ness in learning, Adam's mind was inactive in 
reference to books. Prom whatever cause, he 
could not, for a time, keep up with his school- 
fellows. As soon as he could read tolerably 
well, his father put a Latin grammar into his 
hands, requiring him to commit it to memory. 
2* 



18 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

The recitations dragged heavily. His father 
sternly demanded perfect lessons. Other boys 
of his age committed page after page of the 
grammar; but Adam at last threw down the 
book in despair, and took his . place with an 
English class. When he appeared on the floor 
to recite, his father demanded, in a tone that 
he remembered in old age, "Sir, what brought 
you here? Where is your Latin grammar?" In 
a piteous tone he answered, " I cannot learn 
it." The reproof which followed, and the 
command to resume his task, sent Adam, trem- 
bling, to his seat. 

Just before this circumstance occurred, a 
teacher of a neighbouring village was visiting 
the school, and heard his father's censure upon 
Adam's dulness. The stranger, laying his 
hand kindly upon the boy's head, said, sooth- 
ingly, " Oh, he will make a fine scholar yet!" 
These words made a deep impression in this 
hour of trouble. But a more powerful stimu- 
lant drove his mind fairly from its resting- 
place. As he sat down and resumed his Latin 
grammar, a class-mate called him a stupid fel- 
low, and began rattling it over, to show how 
he could say it, and ran on, w T ith page after 
page, which looked (to poor Adam) like a 
month's task. 

But the spirit of the boy was roused. 
"What," said he, "am I to be the butt of 
ridicule for all my class-mates ? Am I to be 
the dunce of the school !" 



MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS. 19 

The difficulty was gone, " as if," to use his 
own words, " something had broken within him." 
In a short time the lesson which seemed uncon- 
querable was recited without an omission. Page 
followed page, much faster than his teacher wish- 
ed to hear him recite. From that time Adam 
out-studied and out-learned every boy in school. 

Very soon after this memorable period, some 
friends of Mr. Clarke, while loitering in the 
grave-yard adjoining the school-room, were puz- 
zling over a Latin epitaph on a tombstone. 
" You are wrong in your rendering, — both of 
you," said Mr. Clarke, who stood near. " I 
will call my Addy, and he will do better." 
Adam came, and, first looking carefully, (for 
he knew the consequences of a blunder,) read 
it correctly: "Fortune favours the courage- 
ous." 

From the period above mentioned, Adam 
manifested a strong passion for books and for 
study. A desire to pry into every thing was a 
marked trait of his mind. When he was about 
eight years of age, his father, having moved 
to Grove, ten miles from his former residence, 
Adam commenced in earnest to work on the 
farm as well as in the study. The little 
school-house, in which the foundation of his 
education was laid, was situated on the skirt 
of a wood, on a gently rising eminence, be- 
hind which a hill, thickly covered with trees 
and bushes, rose to a considerable height. 
Before it was a beautiful landscape of streams 



20 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

and cultivated fields and grazing flocks. Here 
he read the Eclogues and Georgics of Virgil, 
with a keen appreciation of the rural scenes 
they describe. His brother Tracy and him- 
self studied in the school and worked on the 
farm a day in turn, and what was learned in the 
school by one was carefully rehearsed by the 
other, so that but little of the lessons was lost, 
while a hearty relish was kept up for that 
which was learned. 

His library at this time was peculiar, and 
shows his mental inclination. It was obtained 
by saving economically every penny earned in 
various little services to others. A great fa- 
vourite among his books was Robinson Crusoe. 
This he seems to have received as sober his- 
tory, until his father rather clamped his inte- 
rest in it by saying it was written in a govern- 
ment prison. Books of Eastern stories were 
among his choice ones, and from them he 
thought he received his first promptings to the 
study of Eastern literature, — particularly that 
of the Holy Land and Arabia, for which he af- 
terwards became so distinguished. Pilgrim's 
Progress was numbered among those he read 
with intense interest. Many of the old Eng- 
lish ballads were treasured up and read over 
and over. Various histories and biographies 
were also on the list. 

A brief notice of the habits of the Irish 
peasantry, by whom he was surrounded, will 
show the source of much of his taste for tales 



MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS. 21 

and ballads. During the long winter even- 
ings, the people of a neighbourhood assembled 
in turns at each other's cottages. While the 
females were employed in spinning, the young 
men in weaving and the children in some sim- 
ple work, the old people rehearsed stories of 
the warlike deeds of their ancestors, or a tale 
of the imagination, handed down, perhaps, from 
father to son, for many generations. A sup- 
per of the most simple food was then served, 
and the whole closed by plays and feats of 
strength among the young people, while the 
aged were delighted spectators. Though Adam 
might not be often a participator in these scenes, 
they had their influence, as the little stream helps 
to swell the river. 

His early efforts in composition were rather 
remarkable; one of which, in rhyme, com- 
posed when he was nine years of age, shows 
that he had gathered a large number of items 
from classical fables. The one referred to ex- 
hibits no remarkable poetic talents, but much 
cheerfulness of spirit. 

His desire to obtain a knowledge of every 
thing about him was shown in various ways. 
He gazed at the stars, and longed to know 
their names and places in the heavens. He 
obtained an old spy-glass, and with this, often 
without hat and bare-legged, he sallied out, on 
a clear frosty night, to make observations on 
the moon and stars. He studied the signs of 
the weather, until he thought himself some- 



22 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

what "weather-wise." The ultimate fruit of 
this early observation was one of his first pub- 
lished articles, called " A Fair and Foul Wea- 
ther Prognosticator." "Many times," he says, 
"I have, even in tender youth, watched the 
heavens with anxiety, examined the different 
appearances of the morning and evening sun, 
the phases of the moon, the scintillations of the 
stars, the course and colour of the clouds, the 
flight of the crow and the swallow, the gambols 
of the colt, the fluttering of the ducks, and the 
loud screams of the sea-mews — not forgetting 
even the hue and croaking of the frogs," these 
various objects being supposed to furnish indi- 
cations, more or less reliable, of changes in the 
weather. 



EARLY TRAINING. 23 

CHAPTER II. 

EARLY MORAL AND RELIGIOUS TRAINING. 

Morning and evening prayers — Anecdote of J. Q. Adams — 
The parental discipline — An incident of his early conviction 
— A little companion — The conversation — Deep feeling — The 
different view of his feelings hy his father and mother — Adam 
Clarke's subsequent opinion of early religious convictions. 

It is proper to state that Adam's father was a 
member of the Episcopal Church. He was ex- 
act in his observance of its religious services; 
a firm believer in its doctrines, and constant at 
its communion. 

His mother, was a Presbyterian, and attended 
the ministry and sacraments of her own church. 
The children usually went with their father. 
The mother taught them the catechism of each 
communion. The following is a part of the 
morning and evening prayers, in verse, which 
they learned from her : — 

Evening Prayer. 
I go to bed as to my grave, 
• I pray to God my life to save, 
But if I die before I wake, 
I pray to God my soul to take. 

Morning Prayer. 
Preserve me, Lord, amid the crowd, 
From every thought that's vain and proud; 
And raise my wandering mind to see 
How good it is to trust in thee! 



24 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

The late John Quincy Adams is said to have 
remarked, in the latter part of his life, that the 
evening prayer beginning, 

"Now I lay me down to sleep," 

which is the more common form of the one 
given above, was taught him in infancy by his 
mother, and he had never once, up to old age, 
retired to rest at night without repeating it! 
If such men as Adam Clarke and John Q. 
Adams loved, as they did, these simple prayers, 
let no youth be ashamed to repeat them, nor 
any parent be ashamed to teach them. 

Adam's mother made a constant use of the 
Bible in her religious instructions. If he had 
done wrong, he was often admonished by some 
appropriate quotation from the Scriptures, con- 
veying the desired reproof; and so great was 
the reverence that she instilled into his mind 
for that holy book, that if he had it in his 
hand for the purpose of reading it, and was 
disposed to whistle a tune or to be merry, he 
would do neither until the book was laid aside. 
Her instructions left in his mind a profound 
reverence for God, amounting almost to terror 
in view of his awful justice. The doctrine of 
the new birth was clearly recognised and 
taught by this excellent woman. The religious 
training of her children was what is sometimes 
called Puritanical ; and, doubtless, was very 
much like that so strongly enforced at the same 
period by the Puritan fathers of New England. 



EARLY TRAINING. 25 

Obedience was a word her son well understood. 
But her requirements were so judiciously min- 
gled with instruction and persuasion, that to 
her, under God, more than to all other causes, 
her son owned his future goodness. His fa- 
ther, toiling to obtain even small pecuniary re- 
sources, in school from eleven to fourteen hours 
a day, and several hours each day on the farm, 
seems to have left to her, mostly, the religious 
care of the children ; yet, accompanying him to 
public worship, and kneeling with him at the 
family altar, they doubtless were impressed by 
his paternal example and genuine piety. 

The early effect of these influences, through 
God's Spirit, may be seen in the following in- 
cident. It will indirectly illustrate the truth 
of the above remarks. 

Adam, when about six years of age, had a 
little associate, with whom he was one day 
walking in the field, hand in hand. They sat 
down on a bank, and began to enter into very 
serious conversation. They both became much 
affected, and this was deepened to exquisite 
distress, by the following observations made 
by his associate, little Brooks : " Oh, Addy, 
Addy," said he, "what a dreadful thing is eter- 
nity ! And oh, how dreadful to be put into hell- 
fire, and to be burned there forever and ever!" 
They both wept bitterly, and, as they could, 
begged God to forgive their sins; and they 
made to each other strong promises of amend- 
ment. They wept until they were really ex- 



26 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

hausted, and departed from each other with 
full and pensive hearts. 

In reviewing this circumstance, Adam has 
been heard to say, "I was then truly and 
deeply convinced that I was a sinner, and that 
I was liable to eternal punishment ; and that 
nothing but the mercy of God could save me 
from it — though I was not so conscious of any 
other sin as that of disobedience to my parents, 
which at that time affected me most forcibly. 
When I left my little companion I went home ; 
told the whole matter to my mother, with a 
full heart, expressing a hope that I should 
never more say any bad words, or refuse to do 
what she or father might command. She was 
both surprised and affected; gave me much 
encouragement, and prayed heartily for me. 
With a glad heart she communicated the infor- 
mation to my father, on whom I could see it 
did not make the same impression — for he had 
little opinion of pious resolutions in childish 
minds, though he feared God, and was a seri- 
ous, conscientious man. I must own, that the 
way in which he treated it was very discour- 
aging to my mind, and served to mingle im- 
pressions with my serious feelings which were 
not friendly to their permanence : yet the im- 
pression, though it grew faint, did not wear 
away. It was laid deep in the consideration 
of eternity, and my accountableness to God 
for my conduct, and the absolute necessity of 
enjoying his favour, that I might never taste 



EARLY TRAINING. 



27 



the bitter pains of eternal death. Had I had 
any person to point out ' the Lamb of God, 
which taketh away the sins of the world,' I 
believe I should then have been found as capa- 
ble of repentance and faith — my youth and 
circumstances considered — as I ever was after- 
ward." 




28 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE GREAT CHANGE. 

Removes to Ballyaherton — The house in which he spent his 
hoyhood— The "Old Church"— The " New Church"— Im- 
pressive incidents — The lost knife — A deception — Providen- 
tial escapes — The " False Lights" — Apparent drowning — A 
scene on the North Channel — A novel preacher — Conviction 
for sin — Diligence in business — A temporary error — The cri- 
sis — The change. 

The period of Adam Clarke's life upon 
which we dwell in this chapter, including the 
time of the great change, which he experi- 
enced through Divine grace, extends from 
about his tenth to his eighteenth year, and 
brings us forward to 1778. 

Near the commencement of this period his 
father removed to Ballyaherton, a parish of 
Agherton, and still nearer than before to the 
shore of the North Channel. The house which 
the family occupied is seen in the accompany- 
ing picture, accurately exhibiting it as it was 
at this time, excepting its now newly thatched 
roof. It had the appearance of three huts 
joined together. The rooms were all on the 
ground floor. There was a garden attached to 



THE OLD, AND THE NEW CHURCH. 29 

it. Not far distant were the residences of the 
two lords of the soil, Mr. Cromie and Counsel- 
lor O'Neill. With one of the sons of the lat- 
ter, Adam formed quite an intimacy, which 
was recollected with pleasure by both in ma- 
ture years. 

It will be perceived that the dwelling is 
sufficiently unpretending in its character, and 
is an impressive intimation of the worldly cir- 
cumstances of Mr. Clarke. It, however, does 
not so much indicate the position in society of 
its occupant as it would in New England or the 
Middle States, where, land being cheap, people 
of very small property may own a dwelling of 
some pretensions to elegance. 

The hedge on the right is a much more 
common enclosure in Ireland than in this coun- 
try. The whole has an air of quiet and con- 
tentment well calculated to make a favourable 
impression on the mind of a boy of ten years 
of age. 

Now we are looking at pictures, the reader will 
please to turn to the representation of the " old 
church." (P. 162.) This is from the drawing of 
the ruins, as they appeared when it was visited 
by Dr. Clarke, near the close of his life, and was 
sketched by a friend who accompanied him. 
He remarked at the time of this visit, "It was 
within the w r alls of that ruin that I proceeded 
with my hie, hcec, hoc; and it was within that 
sacred enclosure also that I first received the- 
3* 



30 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

Lord's Supper. Mr. Smith was the officiating 
clergyman; he preached in the church on the 
Sunday ; and my father used it as a school- 
house during the week. There were only two 
pews in it, one on each side of the pulpit, both 
of them very large — one for Mr. Cromie's fa- 
mily, and one for Counsellor O'Neill's, the lat- 
ter of which stood a little forward. The other 
part of the ground-floor was occupied with 
moveable seats." The friend who accompanied 
the doctor, not perceiving any provision for a 
fire, and for the escape of the smoke, made a 
remark to that effect. " We had a fire on the 
middle of the floor," he replied, "around which 
we sat in winter; and the building being large, 
and the roof high, the smoke had sufficient 
room to fly about without rendering those on 
the floor invisible to each other." The inte- 
rior arrangement, as above described, will re- 
mind some of our readers of the early churches 
of New England, a few of which have been 
seen, in their dilapidation, by the present gene- 
ration. We think, however, the fire in the cen- 
tre cannot be equalled by the reminiscences of 
our " oldest times." 

"There is no man," says an elegant writer, 
" who has not some interesting associations 
with particular scenes, and who does not feel 
their sublimity and beauty enhanced by such 
connection. The view of the house where one 
was born, of the school where one was educated, 



IMPRESSIVE INCIDENTS. 31 

and where the gay years of infancy were 
passed, is indifferent to no man." 

A few incidents of Adam's life at this period 
will show how easily his mind was affected by 
comparatively trivial circumstances, which be- 
came, in their combined influence, of much im- 
portance in shaping his future character. The 
following were taken down from the lips of Dr. 
Clarke by a friend; and the improvement that 
was made of them, when they occurred, shows 
the early fruit of a well-cultivated conscience. 

" When I was at school," the Doctor said, 
" I lost a knife, and deplored it to a friend of 
mine, who appeared to sympathize with me. 
1 1 wish I had known that yesterday, Addy,' 
said he, ' for I had a nice one with two blades, 
and an ivory handle, studded with silver, which 
I would have given you.' After working upon 
my feelings for some time, and thus heighten- 
ing the disappointment, he at length dashed 
all my hopes by telling me he had no such thing. 
I felt so much on the occasion that I resolved, 
from that moment, never to tell any person 
what he had lost by what he might have pos- 
sessed, — supposing the provision might have 
been forthcoming." Thus he drew, at once, 
good from the wrong-doing of others, and the 
disappointments of his own mind. 

Another incident from the same source 
shows how deeply seated in his mind were his 
mother's instructions, to regard always the ex- 
act truth. It will be remembered that the im- 



32 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

pression made by these incidents had gone down 
with Adam to old age, and were called up in 
the course of social conversation. 

" I was but a little fellow," said he. "A boy 
had some new farthings given to him ; he called 
me to him, and, looking downward at the time, 
said, ' Addy, Addy, I have lost my farthings ; 
help me to seek for them.' I sought, and sought 
anxiously, almost every spire of grass, for 
several yards around. But neither of us could 
find them. On giving up all for lost, I acci- 
dentally looked at his hand as he was raising 
himself from the ground, and found the coins 
had been locked in it, the whole of the time, 
by the three fingers, while he was pointing with 
the forefinger and thumb of the same hand, and 
scraping the grass and soil with them." He 
adds, in substance, that the disappointed feel- 
ing experienced was trifling, he having had no 
personal interest in the search, in comparison 
with the pain he felt at the falsehood employed 
to effect the deception. This left the circum- 
stance engraven upon his mind. 

In studying the means which God uses to 
bring men to a saving knowledge of the truth, 
we should pay special attention to his provi- 
dences. They are often the occasions through 
which the Spirit applies the revealed word, and 
by them he wisely revives and deepens im- 
pressions made by other means. It was thus 
that he dealt with young Clarke. We select 
the following illustrations of this statement, 



PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPES. 33 

from among several others, because he was 
heard often to refer to them, especially the 
second one, as having made a deep impression 
on his own mind. It is not so much the cir- 
cumstance, as the use we are able to make of it, 
or the workings of the Spirit through it, which 
renders it interesting in contemplating the for- 
mation of character. 

" When I was a boy about ten years of 
age," said the Doctor, while retracing the 
scenes of his youth, "my mother sent me one 
evening to the house of a friend. A bog had 
to be crossed, a full mile in length ; a dense 
mist spread itself around, and enclosed me in 
its depths, long before I had reached the end 
of the journey. Unable to see a step of the 
way, and in great perplexity, one of the lights, 
to which you have alluded, (an ignis fatuus,) 
suddenly sprang up before me. It was the 
first I had ever seen, though I had often heard 
of them; and the frightful stories connected 
with them were brought to my recollection, 
with tenfold force, by the reality then pre- 
sented to view. When I drew backward, it 
followed — moving to the right or left, it moved 
also in the same direction ; on stepping for- 
ward, it likewise advanced. All around was 
a mere bog, without any regular track, and 
consequently every step was threatened with 
danger, and any one might have proved fatal 
to life. I stood and trembled; and yet to 
have remained without further effort was to fix 



34 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

myself there till morning. I resolved at length 
to grope my way cautiously out, though utterly 
at a loss in what direction to move, having 
changed my position so often already, in con- 
sequence of the ignis fatuus.* After hazard- 
ing a few steps I heard a rustling noise ; the 
sound of my foot had alarmed some wild ducks, 
which frequented the place ; and knowing some 
of their haunts, it instantly occurred to me to 
listen in what direction they flew, and to fol- 
low the sound, as I concluded they would take 
the direction of the water which adjoined the 
pla^e to which I was going. Accordingly, 
lending an anxiously attentive ear, and follow- 
ing on, I was brought, in consequence of this 
attention to their flight, within a few yards of 
the friend's door to whom I was sent." 

The thankful mind of Adam, instructed as 
he was to feel that God is ever near, and that 
"in him we live, and move, and have our be- 
ing," referred this escape, by means so unex- 
pected and so simple, to the hand of his Hea- 
venly Father. 



* We need scarcely tell even our young readers that there 
is nothing frightful in the ignis fatuus. It is sometimes called 
Jack-o' '-the-luntern, or Will-with-a-wisp. It is a gas, which 
arises probably from decaying matter in damp places, and the 
light which it emits is like that which we have seen thrown 
out from pieces of rotten wood— called a phosphoretie light. 
The reason that it follows, or goes from, a person near it, is 
this: the motion of the body disturbs the air, and makes a 
current, which, when the person approaches, drives the very 
light, shining gas away, and, on his receding, draws it toward 
him. 



PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPES. 35 

On another occasion Dr. Clarke was visiting 
the sea-shore near Port-Stuart, not far from 
the place of his father's former residence just 
described, and called upon a friend whose 
house embraced a view of the Irish Channel. 
In the course of a social conversation, glancing 
his eye out at the end window, along the sand, 
he remarked, " One of the most remarkable 
providences connected with my life befell me 
on a spot which I have just in view." He 
then proceeded to give the following narrative 
of the event : — " I came down to the shore yon- 
der, riding on a mare of my father's, deter- 
mined to have a swim. Firmly seated, we pro- 
ceeded until we were beyond the breakers ; but 
when we had got over swell after swell, and 
were proceeding still onward to the ocean, the 
mare and myself were swamped in a moment ! 
I, of course, lost my seat, and fell into the 
water. All my views and ideas seemed in- 
stantly and entirely changed ; and I had sen- 
sations of the most perfect felicity that it is 
possible, independent of rapture, for the hu- 
man mind to feel. I had no pain from the 
moment I was submerged; a kind of general 
representation, nearly of green colour, became 
visible to me, in which a multitude of objects 
were seen, not one of which, however, bore the 
least analogy to any thing I had ever seen be- 
fore. How long I continued in this state He 
only knows who saved my life ; but one wave 
after another — for the tide was then coming in 



36 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

— rolled me to the shore. The first sensation, 
on coming to life again, was as if a spear had 
been run through my heart; this I felt on 
getting the first draught of fresh air, when the 
lungs were inflated, occasioned merely by the 
pressure of the atmosphere. After a short time 
had elapsed, I was capable of sitting up; the 
intense pain at my heart, however, continued; 
but I had felt no pain from the moment I was 
submerged, till the time when my head was 
brought above water, and the air once more 
entered my lungs. Upon looking round for 
the mare, I found she had proceeded a con- 
siderable distance on her way home." 

The reader will see, in the plate, the house 
in which this narrative was given, and the 
beach where Adam was so wonderfully pre- 
served from drowning. 

These providences preceded the time when 
he sought to give his heart to God, and were, 
through the Holy Spirit, helping to prepare it 
to yield to Him who was calling him in these 
acts of his preserving power. 

Adam was at this time about seventeen 
years of age; was upright in his outward de- 
portment, and esteemed, with good reason, a 
young man of excellent character. But God, 
who knoweth the heart, saw that his affections 
were not set upon Him. While he feared and 
reverenced God, he did not love him like one 
" born of the Spirit." He lacked one thing. 
This he knew, and, at times, felt deeply. He 



A NOVEL PREACHER. 37 

had been taught that he was to be saved from 
sin by faith in Christ ; but the great doctrine 
of the atonement was not clearly taught by 
the ministers under whose preaching he at this 
time sat. At this critical period, Mark O'Neill, 
his constant play-fellow, said to him one day, 
u Let us go to Burnside. A very singular kind 
of preacher, called a Methodist, is to preach 
there. We shall have fine sport." Adam's mind 
at once shrank from the idea of going to a 
religious meeting of any kind for amusement, 
and this he declared to his companion, at the 
same time consenting to go. 

This decided and frank avowal of his feel- 
ings, at the risk of provoking the ridicule of 
his companions, was, perhaps, the turning 
point in his religious character. The distance 
was not great. They found the people assem- 
bled in a barn. Soon the preacher appeared. 
He was to Adam a singular-looking man. He 
was plain and serious, but so different in dress 
from any clergyman he had ever seen, that the 
mind of his curious hearer was deeply impressed. 
His words were earnest and practical. After 
the preaching, Adam with many others, fol- 
lowed him into the house belonging to the 
owner of the barn, where he again spoke to the 
people about their spiritual interests. 

The effect of the words of this stranger upon 
young Clarke's mind was not very decided- 
He continued to hear with interest these itine- 
rant preachers, for some time. They were 
" the helpers," (as he styled them,) of Mr. Wes- 
4 



6# LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

ley, the founder of Methodism. They were 
men of small attainments in learning, but often 
of marked natural abilities, generally deeply 
pious and extremely self-sacrificing. 

Adam was especially benefited by Mr. Tho- 
mas Barber, one of these "helpers." His 
preaching was accompanied by the power of 
God's Spirit to his heart. He now felt, as he 
had not been accustomed to feel, that he was a 
sinner. But it was not a sudden and over- 
whelming feeling in his case. The Spirit works 
with different manifestations in different per- 
sons. In Adam there was a steadily increas- 
ing sense of guilt before God. He now began 
to read the Bible, as he had never read it be- 
fore, in course, and attentively, studying to 
ascertain God's will concerning his duty. He 
prayed much, that God would enlighten his 
mind by his Spirit. If he came to a passage 
which he did not understand, he would imme- 
diately fall upon his knees, and ask God to give 
him an understanding mind. Thus, he says, he 
learned, not critically, but to a practical extent, 
the general teaching of God's word, and it was 
in this manner, and at this time, that his mind 
became settled on all those doctrines of which 
he afterward became so distinguished an advo- 
cate. 

He became more serious in his deportment, 
and more diligent in his labour, lest the ene- 
mies of religion should reproach it on his ac- 
count. He arose at four o'clock in the morn- 



TEMPORARY ERROR. 6\) 

ing, worked diligently fourteen hours, and then 
esteemed it a privilege to walk three or four 
miles to hear a sermon. In this way he heard 
four sermons in a week, when the preachers 
were in that part of the country. 

While he was thus diligently seeking instruc- 
tion, Mr. Barber one day thus accosted him : 

" Adam, do you think God has, for Christ's 
sake, forgiven you your sins?" 

"No, sir; I have no evidence of this." 

"Adam, do you pray?" 

"Yes, sir." 

" How often do you pray in private?" 

" Every morning and evening," was the re- 

"Adam," the preacher rejoined, solemnly, 
" did you ever hear of any person finding 
peace with God, who only prayed in private 
twice a day?" 

These were words fitly and timely spoken. 
They awakened Adam to the fact that he had 
not been earnest enough. His conviction be- 
gan to be painfully deep. But he was yet to 
pass through a sore trial before he could say, 
" Though thou wast angry with me, thine an- 
ger is turned away, and thou comfortest me?" 
Through the cavilling of some acquaintance his 
mind became, for a time, shaken in its confi- 
dence in the divinity of Christ. He ceased to 
pray in his name. His distress became insup- 
portable, and in his agony he cried out, using 
involuntarily the all-saving name he had for- 



40 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

bidden to himself, " God, hear, and have 
mercy upon me, for the sake of Christ." The 
utterance of the name of Christ shot an en- 
couraging ray of hope across his burdened 
mind. From that moment he began again to 
fix his eye of faith on the atonement, yet he 
had not the faith that secures pardon. His 
mind had not found the rest which flows from 
justification, but he was directed toward it; 
yet the nearer he approached the more fear- 
fully the billows rolled over him. The malig- 
nant adversary of the soul makes his most 
vigorous efforts to destroy it when the penitent 
sinner is the most sincere and determined in 
" agonizing" to enter into eternal life. Adam 
began now to feel that sin was too heavy a 
burden to be borne. Like Peter sinking, when 
"the sea wrought and was tempestuous," he 
cried out, "Lord, save me, or I perish!" 

Having gone into the field to work, he be- 
came too much distressed to continue his la- 
bour; he laid down his farming implements, 
and kneeling upon the ground, he continued 
supplicating the mercy of God. From this 
occasion he began to say, " Being justified by 
faith, I have peace with God, through our Lord 
Jesus Christ." So dear were the associations 
connected with this field, that, in the evening 
of life, after nearly fifty years of toil, of fighting, 
and triumphing, through grace, he a'ttempted 
to purchase it, to erect thereon a cottage, in 
which to spend his few remaining days, that 



THE CHANGE. 



41 



he might enter into the " rest which remaineth 
to the people of God," near the spot where he 
entered into God's spiritual kingdom. But the 
providence of God ordered otherwise. 




4* 



42 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE IMMEDIATE FRUIT OF THE GREAT CHANGE. 

Adam seeks the conversion of others — Missionary excursions — 
Labour for the children — Parents thereby affected — An old 
man's recollections — An humble chapel — Adam apprenticed to 
a linen merchant — Labour for Christ's sake — Rebukes sin — 
His integrity tried, and unshaken — An incident — Returns 
to his parents — His employer's residence — A brief review of 
the change, and its fruits. 

Young Clarke was now devoted to his reli- 
gious as well as mental improvement. He 
read Baxter's " Saints' Rest," and the Life of 
David Brainerd, often called the apostle to the 
American Indians. The first gave him deeper 
convictions of the solemn truth of eternal 
things, and the latter stimulated his desire to 
do good to others. So grateful were the emo- 
tions of his heart for the undeserved love of 
the Son of God toward him, that he felt con- 
strained to persuade others to enter into life. 
He commenced immediately, in an humble but 
efficient way, a work which he did not remit a 
day until God said, " It is enough," and re- 
moved his servant to heaven. 

After the labours of the day on the farm, he 
went through the neighbourhood into the cot- 
tages of the poor, and, in a modest yet earnest 
manner, such as carried a conviction of sin- 



SEEKS TO CONVERT OTHERS. 43 

cerity, discoursed to them concerning the cross 
of Christ. When a whole day was at his com- 
mand, he ascended a hill, and surveyed the 
neighbouring hamlets and villages, to arrange 
a plan of visitation. Then descending, he en- 
tered a dwelling, frequently saying, "Peace be 
to this house." He then inquired if they had 
any objections to uniting with a stranger in 
prayer to Almighty God. He seldom failed to 
obtain a cordial assent. He next invited them 
to call in the immediate neighbours. Soon 
these humble, neglected poor, with glad heart, 
filled the house. With a clear voice, he sang 
a hymn, spake a few words about the Saviour, 
offering to each salvation through his blood, 
and then kneeled and prayed. While his audi- 
ence yet gazed at each other, wondering at his 
interest in them, and at the words he spake, he 
was off to another place. In this way he some- 
times collected and addressed eight or nine 
companies in a single day, walking eight or 
ten miles into the country, and making him- 
self a journey of twenty miles. 

On one occasion he walked twenty-six miles 
with a friend of like spirit, expecting to enjoy 
a somewhat protracted preaching service. But 
other arrangements had intervened, and there 
was to be no preaching. Disappointed in the 
privileges he had anticipated, he commenced 
immediately doing good to others. Gathering 
the children about him, he addressed them. 
They were melted to tears. The adults hav- 



44 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

ing been reached by the word directed to the 
little ones, insisted upon an address to them in 
the evening. This he gave, and remained over 
the next day, at their earnest entreaty. Be- 
fore he left, the preacher coming to the place, 
and seeing one so apparently youthful, and 
without the authority of the church, gathering 
around him the multitude to hear of the Sa- 
viour, — gently reproved him. When long years 
had intervened, and the boy had become a man, 
with hair white with the frost of time, he passed 
through this place: deeply affected, he called 
to mind the weeping of the children, the affec- 
tion of the friends, and the chiding of the mi- 
nister. " The people were pleased with me," 
said he; "for I was young, and little of my 
age." 

These efforts will remind the reader of the 
characteristic labours of the Sunday-school 
missionaries and tract distributers of this day, 
especially those in our Western States and Ter- 
ritories, only that they have the advantage of a 
well-filled satchel of attractive books to distri- 
bute. 

The preachers by whom Adam had been so 
much benefited soon extended the circuit of 
their preaching to the immediate neighbour- 
hood of his residence, and his father and 
mother — especially the latter — professed to 
receive much spiritual benefit from their minis- 
trations. A chapel was erected about half a 
mile from Mr. Clarke's house. It was in the 



LABOUR FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. 45 

form and of the size of a one-floored cottage, 
thatched, and of unsquared stones. This cha- 
pel Adam assisted in erecting. He says, his 
father loaned the use of a horse and cart, and 
he carried stones to and from the cart, twice 
as heavy as was warranted from his strength, 
and adds, "If any one had offered me twenty 
thousand pounds for every twenty pounds of 
stone I carried, as an inducement to abandon 
the work, I would have rejected the proposal 
with contempt. Oh no! I would not have 
taken worlds for my interest in the work that 
was unfolding itself to my view in the salva- 
tion of my own soul and the good of my 
neighbours — so much of which was likely to 
be accomplished within that sacred enclosure." 
The parents of Adam, not having the pecu- 
niary means of educating him for the ministry, 
as they had purposed, apprenticed him to a 
relative, Francis Bennet, an extensive linen 
merchant in Coleraine. He had now been 
about two years a professed Christian, and 
was a member of the Wesleyan body. He 
was also authorized by the authorities of that 
people "to exhort," — that is, to hold religious 
meetings, in which he might present to the 
people the practical truths of religion, with- 
out the form or the profession of preaching. 
Mr. Bennet seems to have been, in spirit, a 
man of the world, and it is not strange that 
young Clarke did not feel satisfied with his 
position. He, however, maintained his reli- 



46 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

gious integrity. One of the servants, a pro- 
fane, violent-tempered girl, greatly afflicted 
him by her wickedness. But after much ef- 
fort and many prayers, he was made glad by 
her hopeful conversion. Another inmate of 
the family was an aged, decrepid woman, who 
had for many years been confined to her bed. 
She was much neglected by the servants, and 
was, moreover, perverse in her disposition, and 
was, in her personal habits, exceedingly repul- 
sive. Yet did this young disciple visit her 
room every evening, for seven months, to speak 
to her about her soul, and to pray with her, ren- 
dering her at the same time such little service 
for her bodily comfort as his circumstances al- 
lowed. 

He carried with him, at this time, a small 
pocket Testament. Being surrounded with pro- 
fane persons, Sabbath-breakers, and triflers at 
serious things, he was accustomed to take out 
the Testament, and, with some well-selected 
passage from the mouth of God, rebuke the 
sinner — using the Word, as it truly is, as " the 
sword of the Spirit." 

He sought other means of doing good. 
There were sermons in Coleraine, at five 
o'clock in the morning, when the itinerant 
preachers came to that place. Adam rose at 
four o'clock, and went through the streets to 
awaken the people, and summon them to wor- 
ship. 

After remaining a few months with Mr. Ben- 



AN INCIDENT. 47 

net on trial, Adam expressed to his parents a 
wish to leave the business, as it had become 
very irksome to him ; but they were decided in 
refusing their consent. While the legal instru- 
ments of his apprenticeship were carelessly de- 
layed, a providential circumstance interposed 
for his relief. Adam was employed one day in 
measuring and marking the cloth, and a piece 
came back to him, which he had measured 
several inches short of the required length. 
He measured it again ; but still there was not 
enough cloth. Mr. Bennet coming in at the 
instant, said, 

"Can you not make the measure, Adam? 
Let us take hold, we will soon stretch it out." 

The conscientious apprentice hesitated. 

" You won't do it, then !" exclaimed the em- 
ployer, warmly. " Then you shall never mea- 
sure another piece for me." 

Adam stood by, and saw him stretch it, and 
yet fail to obtain the desired length. He then 
remarked, respectfully, 

" Sir, you cannot charge me with indolence, 
dishonesty, or disobedience, from the time of 
my entering your service to the present period. 
I am ready to do any thing proper in itself; 
but this is not fair measure, and I cannot do 
any thing I know to be wrong." He then 
moved toward the door to take his departure. 

"Where are you going?" said Mr. Bennet, 
relenting a little. 

" Home to my father, sir," was the answer. 



48 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

"You might as well stop the night over," 
answered Mr. Bennet, in a subdued tone. 
Adam went about other employment, but in a 
short time he was set at liberty from a situation 
with which he had no sympathy. The accom- 
panying picture represents Mr. Bennet's esta- 
blishment. It remained essentially unaltered 
at the time of Dr. Clarke's visit to the neigh- 
bourhood, a few years before his death, and 
was then sketched by a travelling companion. 

We have thus exhibited the great change 
through which Adam Clarke passed, noting 
some of the circumstances which went be- 
fore and followed it, in order to form a more 
intelligent opinion of the genuineness of that 
change. 

This event is really the most important 
one in any person's life. Adam Clarke's con- 
version determined the important features of 
his future character, as it has passed into 
the records of the history of his life. He 
might, or might not, have been known as a 
great man, without this change; but such a 
man, with power to impress his generation for 
their good, he could not have been. We have 
seen that the ordinary means, faithfully em- 
ployed, were blessed of God to secure the 
grace promised to all who sincerely seek it. 
The immediate work was marked by the pre- 
sence of the Holy Ghost, producing a convic- 
tion of the reality of eternal things, and of the 
corruption and guilt of the heart, and leading 



FRUITS OF THE GREAT CHANGE. 49 

to the Lamb of God, who alone can take away 
sin. We have observed the fruit which fol- 
lowed, — holiness of character, — love toward 
God, leading to obedience, — peace, which the 
world cannot appreciate, — a care to grow in 
grace and holiness. His ardent desire to save 
others, by inducing them to come to Christ, 
and his extreme conscientiousness, are worthy 
of special notice. When there was an humble 
service to be done for the neglected poor, 
either for their souls, — as when he visited from 
house to house; or for their bodies, — as when 
he waited upon the neglected sick at Mr. Ben- 
net's, — he was bold to do it. But when an act 
was required of doubtful equity, then he started 
back, afraid to do wrong. These are legiti- 
mate fruits of the great change. 



50 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 



CHAPTER V. 

PROVIDENTIAL GUIDANCE TO THE MINISTRY. 

Early rising, studies, and labour — An incident of his first at- 
tempt to preach — Conflict of mind — Choice of a text — A se- 
vere trial of faith — Leaves home for Kingswood School, 
England — The sea-voyage — The press-gang — An incident 
of a stage ride — His disappointment on arriving at Kings- 
wood — A story of a guinea — The first Hebrew grammar — 
Another trial of conscience — His first interview with Rev. 
John Wesley — His qualifications for the work of a minister 
of the gospel — His absorbing desire to do good — The provi- 
dence of God observed in leading him to the ministry — 
Promptings of the Holy Spirit. 

Upon his return to his father's house, young 
Clarke engaged in the labours of the farm 
rented by his father, and pursued eagerly his 
studies. He rose at four o'clock, and im- 
proved every hour. In addition to pursuing 
his Latin and Greek, he had, a little before 
this time, commenced the study of French. 
Even at this period, the desire to " intermeddle 
■with all wisdom" was a prominent trait in his 
character. But it may be safely asserted that 
even his thirst for knowledge, which led him 
to despise ease and indulgence, was exceeded 
by his desire for the souls of the converted. 
We shall exhibit evidence of this. 

One of Mr. Clarke's spiritual counsellors 
was Mr. Bredin, the preacher of the circuit, a 



HIS FIRST ATTEMPT TO PREACH. 51 

man of sound judgment, and eminently pious. 
He was free from all extravagance of manner 
in handling the word of God, and to him his 
young friend acknowledged, in after days, 
much obligation for an early habit of present- 
ing, in his public teaching, the plain meaning 
of the Scriptures, in opposition to a forced, al- 
legorical interpretation. " This man loved me 
dearly," he observed once to a friend; a but 
he often treated me roughly, by putting me un- 
der a severe discipline." Mr. Bredin discern- 
ing, as he thought, unusual excellences of cha- 
racter in Mr. Clarke, resolved to put him for- 
ward in the public labour of the church. The 
following incident, taken down from one of Dr. 
Clarke's conversational narratives, will exhibit, 
in a lively manner, the method he adopted to 
do so. 

" He asked my father and mother for the 
loan of me eight or ten days, and to allow me 
to spend the time with him at Derry. The dis- 
tance from my father's house was thirty miles. 
Mr. Bredin was at Derry when I set off, so I 
walked the whole of the distance alone. Just 
before I left home, these words were impressed 
upon my mind : ' Ye have not chosen me, but 
I have chosen you, that ye should go, and 
bring forth much fruit, and that your fruit 
should remain ; that whatsoever ye shall ask 
the Father in my name, he shall give it you.' 
These words I could not shake off; they recur- 
red again and again — nor the thought that I 



52 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

might possibly be called to the work of the 
ministry, and that I might be able, perhaps, to 
preach some time, though hope was exceed- 
ingly distant. The day after my arrival at 
Derry, Mr. Bredin said to me, 'Adam, you 
must preach at " New Buildings" for me to- 
night.' I answered, 'I cannot preach, sir; 
but I will speak to the people.' 'You must 
take a text,' he replied, ' and preach from 
it.' I returned, 'I never did take a text, and 
cannot consent to it now.' After some words 
he peremptorily said, 'I insist upon your 
taking a text, and preaching from it, or you 
shall see my face no more.' The last sen- 
tence I knew not how to interpret. To pacify 
him, I went, literally in the fear of God, of 
man, and of the devil. I thought, — Well, I 
will go; I can only bring back the tidings, 
that I went, tried, and failed. I got to the 
place some time before the hour of preaching ; 
and, not knowing any one, I wandered down 
the banks of a river, which connected itself 
with a beautiful sheet of water. My perplexity 
was exchanged for heaviness ; I lay down on 
the grass — prayed — wept — and read my Bible. 
At first, there did not appear a text in the 
whole Bible for me; — I read, prayed again, 
and these words occurred: ' We know that we 
are of God, and the whole world lieth in wick- 
edness.' My mind settled down on them as 
the text. It was not long before a man came 
up to me, and asked me, (as I had then risen 



A SEVEEE CONFLICT. 53 

from the grass,) whither I was going? I told 
him I was a stranger, and had been sent by 
Mr. Bredin, and inquired for the place of wor- 
ship frequented by the Methodists. He asked, 
'Are you the preacher?' I answered, 'Mr. 
Bredin has sent me, and I suppose I shall have 
to speak to the people.' The man measured 
me, apparently, with his eye, from head to foot, 
and then, in a tone of despondency, mingled 
with surprise, said, ' You are a young one to 
unravel the word!' I was struck with the 
man's manner, for he appeared serious, and 
with the word unravel, which seemed to have a 
good deal of meaning in it. He accompanied 
me to the place, and, for the first time, I ven- 
tured on a text, which was the one named." 

"And how did you succeed in unravelling 
the word?" interposed a friend. 

"Oh," said Dr. Clarke, "I spake to the 
good people about John being thrown into a 
cauldron of boiling oil, and coming out of it 
unblistered, with whose history I was pretty 
well acquainted. I noticed also the state of 
the world in its hostility to God and his ser- 
vants, closing with some remarks on personal re- 
ligion. The people pressed round me after ser- 
vice, one of them saying, ' You must preach at 
the Mount to-morrow morning, at five o'clock.' 
To this I assented, as all seemed pleased ; and, 
accordingly, I spoke to the people the next 
morning, at the time appointed." 

Though Mr. Clarke was, at this time, about 
5* 



54 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

twenty-two years of age, and by no means to 
be considered incompetent, on account of his 
age, to " unravel" the word to an humble peo- 
ple, yet he had not now arrived at the period 
in which he was, in God's providence, to enter 
fully upon the duties of the ministry. There 
was in reserve for him a training in the severe 
school of experience. The course taken by 
Mr. Bredin, in urging him forward, might not 
have hurt such a young man as Adam Clarke, 
but will hardly answer as a precedent. 

The next step taken by Mr. Bredin in his 
behalf was to write to the Rev. John Wesley, 
recommending him to invite Mr. Clarke to at- 
tend the school at Kingswood, in England, esta- 
blished by Mr. Wesley, and under his control. 
This brought a request from Mr. Wesley, now 
in the evening of his remarkable life, for young 
Clarke to proceed, without delay, to the school. 
Then followed one of the severest mental con- 
flicts of his life. His parents were decidedly 
opposed to his removal thither. Though of 
age, he could not go without their blessing. 
His account of the circumstances is as fol- 
lows : 

" My mother was much grieved; her prayers 
were against me as well as her conversation. 
'What is this,' said she, 'that has come over 
you ? Your father is advancing in life — your 
brother is gone; we both have been looking 
forward to you to fill his place, — and now you 
are going to run up and down in the world like 



LEAVES HOME FOR SCHOOL. 55 

a vagabond.' That was her view of the sub- 
ject. I said to her, ' Mother, I have made it 
a matter of prayer.' 'And so have I, too,' 
she replied, ' and the curse of God will follow 
you for it.' This was like a scald upon my 
conscience for some days. She spoke to me 
again upon the subject. I said, ' I do not wish 
to do any thing contrary to the will of God ; 
and it appears to be in favour of my going.' 
'What!' she replied, 'do you think it is the 
will of God that you should break the first 
commandment given with promise ?' ' Honour 
thy father and thy mother.' 

I continued to pray, to believe, and to fear; 
but had I known what I was soon to suffer I 
never should have left home. Having to go to 
Coleraine on business, where I stopped a few 
days, I found, on my return, my mother had re- 
lented. She, in the mean time, said to my father, 
'I believe we must let this lad go ; it may be, the 
hand of the Lord is in it.' Finding the way 
opened, I made some preparations for going. I 
had taken leave of some of my friends, and had 
privately packed up my clothes. Just before I 
left, I was walking and praying in the garden, 
when my mother came to me. I was afraid, 
for I knew not how it was determined. She 
submitted to my leaving home, and it was not 
long before I took my departure." 

With a small trunk, a few books, and just 
money enough for his passage, and an economi- 
cal living until he should reach Kingswood, he 



56 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

walked to the nearest sea-port, a distance of 
thirty miles, and purposed, when he should ar- 
rive in England, to walk from Liverpool to 
Kingswood, more than two hundred miles. 

Nearly half a century from this time, when 
he was visiting near the place of his embarka- 
tion, he was engaged in a conversation with a 
Mr. Gait, on his early days, as follows : 

Mr. Gr. " I recollect seeing you on the 
morning you left Coleraine for England." 

A. C. " Are you correct in that?" 

Mr. Gr. "Perfectly so." 

A. 0. "I was not aware of vour being so 
old." 

Mr. Gr. "I will convince you of it by a 
single circumstance. You went into such a 
shop," (naming the person to whom it be- 
longed,) "and there bought a pair of stock- 
ings." 

A. C. "You are right." 

Mr. Gr. "I stood by you at the time, and 
when you left, I joined with the young men in 
saying, Adam Clarke was a fool to go to Eng- 
land to learn to be a Methodist preacher." 

A. 0. "I had no notion of being a travel- 
ling preacher ; all I had in view was the com- 
pletion of my education." 

Mr. Gr. " Such was our opinion, and we af- 
fected to pity you." 

We have introduced the above conversation 
to bring out the purpose which led Mr. Clarke 
to England. The ministry yet seemed to him, 



SEA-VOYAGE — THE PKESS-GANG. 57 

if he entered it, far in the future. But " The 
way of man is not in himself." 

During this voyage to England, young 
Clarke was true to his own character and pro- 
fession. He reproved the profaneness of the 
sailors, and to such an extent won the confi- 
dence of the captain, that, on his arrival in 
Liverpool, he constrained him to accept the 
hospitality of his own family. 

When the vessel approached the port, a 
press-gang came on board. Europe was at 
this time (1782) embroiled in an almost uni- 
versal war. The government of England al- 
lowed her officers to seize unprotected persons, 
and compel them to enter the navy, and per- 
haps to go immediately upon foreign service. 
Such an impressment Adam Clarke providen- 
tially escaped. There were on board two fel- 
low-travellers, a hatter and a sailor. These two 
hid themselves, on the appearance of the press- 
gang ; but Adam said, " Shall such a man as I 
flee? No, I will not distrust God?" and he 
sat down quietly, inwardly committing himself 
to God, in prayer. The officer of this kidnap- 
ping crew looked at his hands, asked him a 
few questions, and declared, with an oath, he 
would not do. The poor hatter was found, 
and carried away. 

Mr. Clarke was persuaded by the kind fa- 
mily of the captain to change his purpose of 
walking to Kingswood. He took a cheap 
mode of conveyance. At Bristol, and during 



58 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

his journey from that place, he arrested the 
attention of those about him by his intelli- 
gence, modest deportment, and especially by 
his use of the weapon against sin, which he 
habitually carried with him — his pocket Testa- 
ment. 

His rustic appearance excited the mirth of 
one of the young passengers. He was soon 
drawn into an argument on important ques- 
tions of morality and religion, and so im- 
pressed were his opponents with his ability and 
knowledge, that they earnestly solicited him 
to accompany them to London, on his way to 
Kingswood, offering to pay the expense of his 
journey if he would do so. But he declined 
the request. 

On arriving at Kingswood Mr. Clarke was, 
in every respect, most sadly disappointed. He 
was told by the principal, that the school was 
not for such proficient scholars; that he had 
not received notice from Mr. Wesley to admit 
him; that the school was full, and, in short, 
he must not stay. Here, then, was an emer- 
gency ! His friends were far away. He had 
come to England with sanguine expectations. 
He had about three cents in his purse, all his 
remaining cash. He could not be turned 
away; so the teacher gave him an uncom- 
fortable room, and cool treatment, until Mr. 
Wesley should arrive, who was expected at 
Kingswood soon. The way in which God leads 
his servants is often, to them, overshadowed 



A STORY OF A GUINEA. 59 

■with dark clouds. So Adam found it. But 
the Divine purposes will shine through at last. 
Clarke soon found it so in his experience. 

He was one day working in the garden for 
exercise. Another young man had just dug 
over the same ground. But in it Adam 
found a guinea. He carried it from one per- 
son to another to find an owner, and finally, 
not finding one, his tender conscience con- 
cluded it must rightfully belong to the esta- 
blishment, as it was found on the premises ; 
but the steward would not touch it, and, after 
the coin had been a matter of much talk and 
inquiry, it was turned back upon the finder's 
hands. With a part of it he bought a Hebrew 
grammar, and had a sum remaining sufficient 
for his expenses, until other resources were 
opened. "By means of that grammar," he 
says, " I was enabled to pursue a critical ex- 
amination of the Old Testament, and while do- 
ing so made the Short Notes, which formed the 
ground-work of my Commentary." 

The following is one among the many cases 
of conscience which occurred in Adam Clarke's 
experience. The stewardess of the school 
called upon him, at the table, to drink the 
health of some one named, — the custom of drink- 
ing healths being then almost universal. This 
he declined, giving as a reason, that the cus- 
tom was useless in itself, and led to injurious 
consequences. It was replied, that it was one 
of the usages of her table, and that he need 



60 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

not be more scrupulous than all others. This 
reasoning did not answer for Mm, and he per- 
sisted. It was replied, warmly, that he should 
drink healths at the table, or drink nothing. 
The latter alternative he accepted, and to the 
end of his stay at the school, took no drink 
with his meals ! 

The arrival of Mr. Wesley at Bristol, a 
short distance from Kingswood, put an end to 
these vexations. Mr. Clarke walked to that 
place, and was introduced to this venerable 
man. He was received kindly, and, after a 
few words of conversation, asked, " If he 
wished to devote himself entirely to the work 
of God?" The answer was, "I wish to do 
and to be what God pleases." Mr. Wesley re- 
marked, that a preacher was wanted for Brad- 
ford circuit, and that in a few days he would 
send for him to go thither. He then laid his 
hands upon the head of his young "helper," 
and continued a few moments in prayer to 
God, to bless and preserve him, and to give 
him success in his work. 

On the morning of September 26th, 1782, 
Mr. Clarke left Kingswood for his appointed 
field of labour, after having remained there 
thirty-two tedious days. As we must now re- 
gard him as about to enter the ministry, we 
may take a glance at the steps by which he was 
led to it. 

In his absorbing desire to do good, we see 
one of the leadings of the divine hand to the 



HIS QUALIFICATIONS FOR HIS WORK. 61 

ministry. Not that every Christian young 
man, with whom this is a prevalent feeling, is 
thus directed; but it is to be so considered in 
its connection with God's providence and Spi- 
rit. Surely he, whose life is to be spent like 
his Master's, in doing good, need to begin and 
end that service, in a burning love for it. 

Through the providence of God, we observe 
other steps to the ministry made apparent. 
At one time, the father of Adam Clarke in- 
dulged a hope that he might obtain sufficient 
education to be admitted as a member of the 
medical profession. This failing, as well as 
his hopes of having him enter the ministry of 
the church of his choice, his mother intimates 
a desire, entertained by both parents, that he 
should succeed his father as a school-teacher. 
But both had given up to what they conceived 
to be the directings of the divine will, in help- 
ing him to become a linen merchant. In this 
situation we have seen, that Adam did not be- 
tray his trust, but acted, though not pleased 
with his situation, as if it were the position of 
his choosing. The divine guidance was soon 
manifested, in a change in his employment 
more favourable to the great work upon which 
he was to enter, delivering him by an occurrence 
creditable to his reputation and piety. 

Then came the opposition of his parents — 
their final acquiescence — the escape from the 
press-gang, and the friendships formed on 



62 



LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 



board the vessel, and on the road, in confirma- 
tion of all this. 

But most of all, perhaps, do we see the will 
of God indicated in the bitter disappointment 
of mind he experienced at Kingswood, where 
he had gone only to complete his studies, — the 
finding of the guinea, and the timely arrival 
of Mr. Wesley. 




LABOURS OF THE WESLEYS. 63 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE MINISTRY COMMENCED. 

The labours of the Wesleys and Whitefield — A glance at the 
formation of the Wesleyan connection — The Bradford circuit 
— Frequent preaching — Studies on horseback — Induced to 
renounce the study of Latin and Greek — Mr. Wesley's ad- 
vice — Feelings in reference to preaching — His apparent 
youth — The effect of a sermon at Roads — A reminiscence of 
that sermon — A curious history of his pocket Bible — His 
texts — Abandons, for life, the use of tea and coffee — Attends 
the conference at Bristol. 

About the middle of the last century, the 
two brothers, John and Charles Wesley, and 
George Whitefield, began to preach the gospel 
with great zeal, gathering congregations wher- 
ever they could, — in the open air, in private 
rooms, and in barns, — as well as in the 
churches. A great revival of religion fol- 
lowed. In the course of the providence of 
God, John Wesley became the most prominent 
in this work. The people who, through his 
instrumentality, professed a desire to become 
Christians, he formed into " Societies." When 
the call for labourers became urgent, he em- 
ployed men of piety from the mechanic's shop, 
from the farm, and all the common pursuits of 
life, as well as from the schools — to assist him. 



64 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

These were for many years called " Mr. Wes- 
ley's preachers." As the " Societies" in- 
creased in number, he united several, often as 
many as forty of them, under the name of " a 
circuit," and appointed two or three preachers 
to preach in turn to each of them; the most 
experienced of these having a general charge 
of his colleagues, and being known as the 
" superintendent of the circuit." In the course 
of some years, the " circuits" multiplied, so 
that several of them were united and denomi- 
nated a "district." Each society was divided 
into small classes, of about twelve persons. 
These classes met every week, to pray, and to 
relate their Christian experience. A person, 
called " class-leader," was appointed to instruct 
them in the duties of religion. 

Another peculiarity of Mr. Wesley's regula- 
tions, was the change of the preachers from 
one circuit to another, generally every year. 
After his death these changes were made once 
in two or three years at least. Mr. Wesley 
had the entire government of all these socie- 
ties, receiving or dismissing the preachers, ap- 
pointing them to their fields of labour, and re- 
gulating all the affairs of the " Connexion." 
These preachers, however, met with him once 
a year, in what was called a " Conference," 
where all these interests were made subjects of 
free discussion. 

Bradford circuit, which was assigned to Mr. 
Clarke, included three counties, and thirty-one 



THE BRADFORD CIRCUIT. 65 

preaching appointments in as many towns or 
villages, and was situated mostly between the 
Bristol and the English Channels, in the south 
of England. There were three preachers to 
travel this field with him, each making the cir- 
cuit of the appointments every month, so that 
there was a sermon required of each every 
day. But the places for public service were 
generally far apart, thus requiring the preacher 
to be almost constantly (when not taking abso- 
lutely necessary rest, nor preaching,) on horse- 
back, the usual mode of travelling at that time. 
Besides preaching, Mr. Clarke met the classes, 
visited the sick, and gave frequent public and 
private religious exhortations. During a little 
less than eleven months' labour on the circuit, 
he preached five hundred and six times, preach- 
ing one sermon every morning at five o'clock 
of the whole time. 

As it is already known to the reader that he 
had, what might be called a passion for study, 
and perhaps known that he became eminent, in 
after life, as a learned man, the question may 
suggest itself, how was this passion gratified 
during these eleven months? That question 
he answers. He read on horseback, while go- 
ing from place to place. In this way he began 
the study of Hebrew, committed to memory 
the grammar, and read the elementary exer- 
cises from the Hebrew Bible, and made him- 
self somewhat familiar with Mosheim's Church 
History. To his Latin and Greek he began to 
6* 



66 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

give what attention he could in his moments of 
leisure, until the following unfortunate incident 
caused him to desist. 

In a room, at one of the preaching places, 
where the several preachers lodged, some one 
had written, in Latin, a sentence relating to 
the vicissitudes of life. Clarke wrote under it 
a quotation from Virgil, corroborative of the 
sentiment. One of his colleagues, a pious, but 
unlearned man, when his turn came to lodge in 
the room, wrote under the quotation a severe re- 
proof, of what he considered a vain display of 
learning. The tender conscience of Clarke, 
ever wakeful to wrong emotions in himself, and 
little suspecting them in others, especially in 
his seniors in the ministry, was exquisitely 
pained. Ready at once to assume that he had 
done wrong in the case specified, he fell upon 
his knees, and, praying God to pardon the 
offence, solemnly vowed never to meddle with 
Latin or Greek more ! This vow he religiously 
kept for four years ! At the end of this pe- 
riod he was led to see the rashness of his vow 
by a remark Mr. Wesley made to him, con- 
cerning the importance of making every possi- 
ble useful acquisition, and of not forgetting 
any thing he had ever learned. He began to 
review the cause of his vow, and came to the 
conclusion that such an engagement was unjus- 
tifiable. Though the vow itself betrays a weak- 
ness, and want of proper consideration that is 
highly censurable, involving him, as it proved, 



FEELINGS RESPECTING PREACHING. 67 

in the violation of a most solemn promise, the 
reader may be inclined to accept as a pallia- 
tion what, however, is no excuse, the sincerity 
and warmth of his misguided feeling in con- 
tracting the obligation. 

Another of Mr. Clarke's colleagues was 
about his own age, with whom he conferred 
concerning his advancement in holiness. These 
young men, though not constituted alike in 
mind, nor intimate in other respects, sought 
each other's company, for the sole purpose of 
spiritual improvement. Clarke would often ride 
five miles out of his route, to talk with this 
sympathizing spirit on his daily experience in 
the divine life. 

Young Clarke entered upon his public la- 
bours with much self-distrust. He says, he 
trembled in view of the audience he was to 
meet, and prayed constantly for the assistance 
of the Holy Spirit. He read the Bible upon 
his knees, and often with tears. Every where 
on the circuit, during these eleven months, was 
the work of God revived. He had commenced 
with great fear, lest his apparently extreme 
youth should hinder his usefulness. Appear- 
ing to many not more than seventeen years of 
age, he was frequently called the "boy," and 
the " little boy." But this circumstance was 
the means of advancing, instead of preventing 
his access to the people. Curiosity led many, 
when it was announced that "the boy" was to 
preach, to seek to hear him, who neglected the 



68 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

ministry of others. His ready utterance, fer- 
vent spirit, clear, forcible thoughts, and piety, 
which at once melted his own heart and the 
hearts of his audiences, pleased all, and se- 
cured a repetition of their attendance. The 
following incident will illustrate the above re- 
marks : 

At a place called Road, by a peculiarity in 
the arrangement of his work with his col- 
leagues, he had not preached until the second 
quarter of the year. But few had attended 
the preaching of those who had preceded him. 
It was considered an unpromising field for the 
gospel seed. When it was rumoured, that a 
u boy" was to preach in the Methodist cha- 
pel, the young people came to hear in such 
numbers that they filled the house almost to 
the entire exclusion of the older members of 
the community. While he preached great so- 
lemnity pervaded the assembly. After the 
sermon the preacher read the hymn, begin- 
ning— 

"Vain, delusive world, adieu! 
With all thy creature good ; 
Only Jesus I pursue. 
Who bought me with his blood." 

He then sang it with a clear, melodious voice, 
with which he was then favoured. The con- 
gregation were deeply affected. That night, 
and the next morning, thirteen persons, young 
men and women, came to him, earnestly ask- 
ing for instruction. The spirit of inquiry 



A REMINISCENCE OE THAT SERMON. by 

spread among the elder people, and a general 
revival prevailed from that time, through the 
vicinity. Some of the fruit of this sermon 
was seen after many days. Fifty years after, 
while Dr. Clarke was visiting a son at Frome, 
just before preaching, a man of gray hairs en- 
tered the room where he was sitting. He 
stood in astonishment, mingled with a respect- 
ful timidity before the venerable Dr. Clarke. 
"Can it be possible," he said, "that this is 
' the tidy boy' who preached at Road, fifty 
years ago?" He then proceeded in a blunt, 
but honest way, to speak of his conviction un- 
der the sermon which we have noticed above; 
of his membership of the Methodist society 
from that time, and his present joy at meet- 
ing again, after so long an interval, the instru- 
ment of his salvation. 

Mr. Clarke's constant companion at the 
commencement, as well as later in his minis- 
try, was a pocket Bible. An item of the his- 
tory of the one used on his first circuit is 
worthy of a passing notice, for the facts it re- 
veals. After his death, it was rescued by a 
friend of Dr. Clarke's from an old rag-and- 
iron shop, for twelve cents. The margin was 
marked, indicating the chapters read in his de- 
votional exercises, and the texts from which he 
preached. The latter were scattered through 
nearly all the books of the Old and New Tes- 
taments, indicating that they were selected as 
they struck his mind in the course of a conse- 



70 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

cutive reading. They are, uniformly, such por- 
tions of the word of God as would be readily 
understood by men of plain understanding, 
making complete sense of themselves, and ap- 
ply, generally, to the daily experience of Scrip- 
tural holiness. We present them below, for 
such as may be interested to examine them.* 
On the title-page, in Mr. Clarke's hand-writing, 
was Luther's motto, in Latin, f which may be 
read — " To have prayed well, is to have stu- 
died well." 

During this year he read Mr. Wesley's tract 
against the use of tea and coffee. He resolved 
not to taste either again until he could answer 
the arguments. As he kept his resolution of 
abstinence from their use until his death, we 
conclude he never found an answer with which 
he was satisfied, or had so overcome the habit 
as to be unwilling to resume it. The reader is 
perhaps aware that " taking tea" in England 
includes, as almost a matter of course, some- 
thing like a social visit. Therefore he saved, 
he thinks, several years of precious time in de- 
clining invitations to tea, by the very conve- 

* Gen. i. 27; xxviii. 15. Lev. xix. 17. Num. vi. 23-27; x.29; 
xiv. 24; xxiii. 10; xxxv. 27, 28. Deut. iv. 9; xi. 13; xxx. 19. 

1 Sain. 9, part of verse 27, "Stand thou," Ac.; xii. 23, 24, 25. 

2 Kings iv. 26; v. 12; xvii. 36. 1 Chron. 28. 9. Ezra ix. 8. Job 
xxiii. 10. Ps. L, whole; v. 11; ix. 9, 10; xxv. 1-5; xxxiv. 1- 
6-10; xxxvii. 39; lvi. 13. Isa. ix. 6; xxii. 20, to the end; 
li. 14; lii. 7, 8, 9, 10. Jer. xvii. 7, 8; xxxi. 9, 18-19. Ezra 
xi. 16-21 ; xiv. 14-20, Dan. vii. 13, 14. Micah ii. 10; Matt 
iii. 10, 12; v. 3; v. 16, 25; vi. 9-13, &c, &c. 

f " Bene orasse, est bene studuisse." 



ATTENDS CONFERENCE AT BRISTOL. 71 

nient and satisfactory excuse, " I never take 
tea." Whatever the reader may think of this 
item of self-denial, he "will mark the time-sav- 
ing study evinced in the resolution. 

In the summer of 1783 Mr. Clarke left his 
field of labour, and attended the Conference in 
Bristol. 

He was at this conference admitted, in full, 
to the office of the ministry, without having 
served the usual length of time on trial. 




72 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 



CHAPTER VII. 

TOILS, PRIVATIONS AND SUCCESS. 

Removes to the Norwich circuitr— Privations — Damp beds — 
Coarse fare — Small salary — An inhospitable reception — The 
benefit of keeping the Sabbath holy — An incident — The Sab- 
bath breaker warned — Success, his support — An illustration, 
the pioneer of our " Great West" — Remarkable answer to 
prayer — Removes to the St. Anstell circuit — Two persecu- 
tors disarmed — Mr. Clarke's popularity as a preacher — The 
conversion of the celebrated 1 Samuel Drew — His remarks 
concerning Clarke — Preaches to the quarrymen— Preaching 
refused at Trego — The manner of prosecuting his studies — 
Mr. Clarke and the shoemaker — Incessant labour — An op- 
poser foiled — A timely loan of Kennicott's Hebrew Bible. 

Mr. Clarke's next field of labour was the 
Norwich circuit, including twenty-two preach- 
ing places. It lay in the east part of Eng- 
land, having its head quarters at Norwich City. 
There were three preachers beside himself to 
perform the labour, one of whom was Richard 
Whatcoat, subsequently one of the two super- 
intendents or bishops appointed by Mr. Wes- 
ley for the Methodist Episcopal Church in the 
United States. Once a month, every appoint- 
ment was visited by each minister, requiring 
two hundred and sixty miles travel. When 
they were going from one preaching place to 
another, which was nearly all the time, they 
were, with few exceptions, entertained kindly 



PRIVATIONS. 73 

by the people; but when in the city, they 
boarded with the family who lived in " the 
preachers' house," and the steward paid (week- 
ly) the expense, according to the number of 
meals which were eaten. As there was but one 
horse for the four preachers, they managed to 
divide his services between them; so that Mr. 
Clarke walked over much of his field of labour, 
carrying his saddle-bags, containing his few 
personal effects. But this was not the worst 
of the inconvenience under which he laboured. 
The people to whom he ministered being gene- 
rally in the humblest walks of life, the enter- 
tainment he received, though the best his host 
had to offer, was often such as to expose his 
health and life. The winter was an unusually 
cold one, and the mere cabins — sometimes out- 
buildings — in which he slept, afforded him in- 
sufficient protection from the cold. The beds 
were sometimes damp or poorly supplied with 
coverings. So open were many of the places 
in which he lodged, that he carried with him 
coarse paper, with a hammer and chisel, to fill 
up, in a measure, the apertures. The people 
themselves were scantily supplied with poor 
fuel, so that he often retired to his sleeping- 
room cold ; slept with a part of his wearing ap- 
parel on, and rose cold. The food was not 
only of the coarsest kind, but often scarcely 
sufficient in quantity to support nature ; but in 
kind and quantity it was such as the donors had, 
and it was freely given. The allowance, by 



74 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

the regulations of Mr, Wesley's connection, 
was, at that time, twelve pounds sterling a 
year, or about $60, besides the mere article of 
food. From this the preacher purchased his 
clothes, and paid his incidental expenses. Out 
of this small sum each preacher, when in 
health, paid a yearly portion, as a common 
provision for sickness. 

Among the outbreaking sins which he was 
called to oppose, none was more notorious 
than Sabbath-breaking. Even some of the 
members of the society greatly afflicted him by 
their loose notion and practice concerning their 
duty on this holy day. This sin he rebuked 
with his characteristic faithfulness, and his ef- 
forts were blessed, in several instances, with 
success. We present one example: 

A miller, who ground on the Sabbath, at- 
tended the preaching. He at first became un- 
easy under the light he received concerning 
this sin. Soon he told his customers to call on 
Saturday, as he should not grind on the Sab- 
bath. At this they laughed, and came as 
usual on the Lord's day; but they found him 
true to his purpose. They prophesied the ruin 
of his business, and assisted in fulfilling their 
prediction, by ceasing to patronize him. But 
soon one came back, then another, until most 
of his old customers returned, and many new 
ones; and he remarked to Mr. Clarke, "I am a 
thousand pounds richer than before I kept the 
Sabbath." 



THE SABBATH-BREAKER WARNED. 75 

Another incident, which occurred, in part, 
under his observation, gives its warning to the 
Sabbath-breaker. A boy, son of the member 
with whom Mr. Clarke was then stopping, went 
out with two others, on Sabbath morning, with 
their guns. In endeavouring to get through a 
hedge, the boy of whom we have spoken hav- 
ing reached the opposite side, took hold with 
his mouth of the gun which the other held as 
he passed it through ; it went off, and killed the 
latter, almost instantly. The son of the pious 
parent was so distressed that, in his distrac- 
tion of mind, he endeavoured to drown himself. 
But he had been warned, for it was only the 
previous week that Mr. Clarke was writing the 
names of members of the society, to write 
them on tickets of admission to the love-feast, 
containing each a passage of Scripture. This 
boy, standing at the writing-desk, took up and 
read the one which contained the words, " Re- 
member the Sabbath-day to keep it holy." 

While toiling for the religious benefit of the 
people Mr. Clarke often laboured with his 
hands for them, in little acts of kindness, 
which, though unimportant in themselves, gave 
him access to their hearts. His sentiment was, 
" Be ashamed of nothing by which men's souls 
may be benefited." 

But while we have endeavoured to give a 
faithful picture of Mr. Clarke's privations and 
toil in his Master's service for the poor and 
neglected, let not the reader understand that 



(b LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

there were no circumstances to comfort and 
encourage him. Mr. Clarke found many, to 
whom he was the voice of God. While the 
word comforted them, they blessed the mes- 
senger. The lowly lot of those for whose 
souls but little interest had been taken, and 
to whom religion came as the only gleam of 
light in earth's pilgrimage, as well as their 
only hope of heaven, — was so elevated by such 
labours as he bestowed, that they became 
" rich indeed." To look upon this change, 
wrought by grace, inspired in his heart grati- 
tude and love. So the pioneer in our Western 
country enters the forest, and there is no shel- 
ter for him or his children. The grounds are 
not cleared for planting, nor are the pathways 
opened for him to walk. But the brave pio- 
neer toils on, nothing daunted. What has 
cheered him ? Look now, on every side, upon 
that recent wilderness. There are comfortable 
habitations all around. Fields wave with the 
ripening grain. The village church, and the 
village school-house are near. These are, in 
part, his reward, and the hope of this made 
him happy in his privations. 

Occasionally, Mr. Clarke formed acquaint- 
ance with those in the higher walks of life; 
and from these he obtained, besides much 
religious edification, the loan of books from 
their libraries, which to him was a very great 
favour. 

Having laboured about one year in the Nor- 



REMOVES TO ST. ANSTELL CIRCUIT. 77 

wich circuit, Mr. Clarke received notice, Au- 
gust 7th, (1784,) of his appointment to St. 
Anstell circuit, included mostly in the county 
of Cornwall. To reach St. Anstell required a 
journey of four hundred miles. To defray his 
expenses about $5 was sent him! He started 
immediately on horseback. A penny loaf suf- 
ficed for his own daily sustenance, and his scan- 
tily supplied purse was made to provide for his 
horse. While spending a Sabbath in London, 
on his route, he, with many of his brethren 
then in the city, preached in the open air. A 
circumstance occurred during his sermon, illus- 
trating both the providence of God, in protect- 
ing his servants, and the character of the times 
of which we are writing. 

Some years after the present period of our 
biography, a zealous and useful preacher ad- 
dressed Mr. Clarke in the following manner: 

a Do you recollect preaching in Moorfields, 
London, during the Conference of 1784?" 

"I do, distinctly," was the reply. 

"Well, I was there, with my brother, and 
we had agreed to pull you down after you had 
commenced preaching, and ill-treat you. A 
former sermon of your's had reproved us, and 
we were provoked that a boy, such as you ap- 
peared to be, should teach us. As you com- 
menced, I approached on one side, and my bro- 
ther on the other. Strangely enough to us, 
each seemed reluctant to begin. I beckoned 
to him to commence the attack, and he gave 



78 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

the same sign to me. As the sermon pro- 
ceeded, we were both disarmed of our resent- 
ment. I became deeply convicted, sought, and 
obtained pardon of sin through Christ, and am 
now striving to preach the gospel." 

Such was some of the fruit of the seed sown 
on his journey to his new field of labour. 

The St. Anstell circuit contained forty 
preaching places, each to be visited monthly. 
The labour was great, but the Holy Spirit was 
with the preachers and people — a general awak- 
ening commenced immediately — great crowds 
flocked to hear the word, so that the preachers 
were obliged, in many cases, to abandon the 
chapels, and preach in the open air. Seve- 
ral persons who subsequently became known 
to fame, were the subjects of this gracious 
work; among whom was Samuel Drew, who 
became a subject of renewing grace through 
the labours of Mr. Clarke, and an intimate 
friend until his death, which took place nearly 
at the same time with Dr. Clarke's. Drew 
was one of nature's prodigies. Though fol- 
lowing the occupation of a shoemaker, his 
name became known throughout Europe as 
the author of works on the " Immateriality 
and Immortality of the Soul," " The Identity 
and Resurrection of the Human Body," 
and several others. His early conversion was 
doubtless productive of great good to the cause 
,of religion. 

Mr. Drew has left the following notice of 



DREW'S REMARKS OF ADAM CLARKE. 79 

Mr. Clarke's public labours on the St. Anstell 
circuit : 

" Multitudes," he remarks, " who scarcely 
ever visited the Methodist chapels on any other 
occasion, nocked to hear Mr. Clarke, and, at 
times, the places were so thronged that it was 
with difficulty he could urge his way through 
the concentrated mass. One instance of this 
fell under the writer's notice. It was at the 
town of St. Anstell. The room was so com- 
pletely filled, that he was obliged to enter 
through the window, and literally creep on 
his hands and knees over the heads and shoul- 
ders of the people, to reach the pulpit. This 
tide of popularity continued to follow him with- 
out any abatement." 

Although the regular appointments required 
one sermon every day and an additional one 
every third day, yet Mr. Clarke sought other 
places to win the neglected to Christ. Observ- 
ing a slate quarry on his route, which em- 
ployed a large number of men who were allowed 
one hour for dinner, he invited them to devote 
half of that time to listening to a sermon. 
This invitation they readily accepted, and, 
thenceforth, he ministered to them, monthly, 
while on the circuit, though it was so much 
taken from his already very limited time for 
studies which he passionately loved. He 
seems to have adopted the maxim of another 
great and good man, t. e. " Study is a good 
thing, but saving souls is better." 



80 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

At a place called Trego, his well-intended 
effort to do the people good did not receive a 
kind response. He was directed by his senior 
preacher to a farm-house, as a point to gather 
a congregation. He arrived at the place to- 
ward evening, weary and hungry. The hus- 
band being absent, the lady of the house set 
before him a little coarse fare, and bid him 
welcome. But the head of the family soon 
came in, and, in a harsh manner, ordered him 
away. He would have none of his preaching, 
nor would he entertain him for the night, 
though the wayfaring man had no place of 
rest, without another exhausting ride, which 
would carry him to a late hour of the night. 
Yielding to the necessity of his situation, Mr. 
Clarke re-saddled his horse, mounted, and ad- 
dressed the man in the following strain : " Sir, 
remember a minister of Christ came to your 
door with the message of salvation to you, to 
your family, and to your neighbours. But 
you refused his message, and thrust him from 
the hospitalities of your house. Now, as my 
Master bid his ministers do on a like occasion, 
I wipe off the dust of my feet, as a testimony 
against you." So saying, he took his feet, one 
after the another, from the stirrups, and de- 
liberately wiped off the dust from them, and 
then slowly rode away. 

Whatever may be thought of this proceed- 
ing on the part of Mr. Clarke, it is stated as a 
fact, that ruin came upon the man's affairs 



MANNER OF PROSECUTING STUDIES. 81 

shortly; his family became corrupt and were 
scattered, and the man himself sank into the 
grave soon after, deprived of the farm from 
which he drove the messenger of peace. It is 
easy to suppose that such inhospitality and 
meanness were connected with other and equal- 
ly offensive traits, which would naturally issue 
in the loss of credit and character, and in 
final disgrace and ruin, independently of any 
malediction. 

The reader will wish to know how and to 
what extent, Mr. Clarke prosecuted his studies 
amidst these incessant public labours. He 
commenced at this time the study of geology and 
mineralogy, with text-book in hand on horse- 
back, and a hammer in his saddle-bags. He 
dismounted at such localities as promised spe- 
cimens of special interest, and, having broken 
a few, observed the geology of the location, 
and laid up the facts in his mind, he re- 
mounted, and in a few hours, (perhaps mo- 
ments,) was delivering with freedom of utter- 
ance, clearness of thought, and divine assist- 
ance, the message of that God to man, whose 
wonders in nature had stimulated his faith and 
love. 

Chemistry was studied in the same practical 
way. Moments of time were saved, while he 
was in the city, and spent in the laboratory of a 
friend, performing experiments, especially those 
concerning the process of refining silver, hav- 
ing in his mind, among other things, references 



82 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

to that process in the illustrations of Scripture. 
The reading necessary to such experiments was 
performed in the way, while going round his 
circuit. 

Besides some ability in practical science 
thus early exhibited, there will be frequent oc- 
casion, in the course of this narrative, to show 
that Mr. Clarke possessed considerable me- 
chanical ingenuity, combined with close ob- 
servation of all the mechanical operations go- 
ing on about him. The following incident will 
illustrate this remark: 

Having, while on his circuit, called upon 
" one of the craft" to make him a pair of 
shoes, he gave particular orders concerning 
their shape, in order to secure a good fit, for, 
to so great a pedestrian, shoes, he thought, 
had greater need to be made to suit the foot 
than to please the eye. They were made, and, 
when called for, the following conversation 
took place: 

Mr. Clarke — Looking at the shoes, " They 
will not fit." 

Shoemaker. " How do you know that; you 
have not tried them on?" 

Mr. 0. " By my eye ; it will not deceive me 
in this matter." 

Shoemaker. " I defy any man to tell by the 
eye that a shoe will not fit, when it has been 
made, as these have, according to order and 
by the measure." 

Mr. C. "I will try to put it on to convince 



MR. CLARKE AND THE SHOEMAKER. S3 

you of your error." The attempt to put it on 
was made without success. He then pointed out 
the difficulty, saying, '* You should have taken 
a little out on the instep, on this side" (placing 
his finger on the part) " to have relieved the 
other." Honest Crispin saw it at once, and 
exclaimed, earnestly, "Ay, I have found you 
out — I have found you out — you are a shoe- 
maker. None but a shoemaker would have 
observed this." 

" But he might as well have called me a 
watchmaker," said Mr. Clarke, when, in a hu- 
morous mood, he was telling this incident to a 
friend, " because I took my watch to pieces, 
and cleaned it, as I did at one time ; or a tinker, 
because I mended the bellows, which I found 
out of order at the preacher's house." 

Very much of Mr. Clarke's learning, which 
he brought to an excellent account in illus- 
trating Bible truth, was the knowledge (as we 
say familiarly sometimes) of men and things. 
He made his practical labour in science and 
mechanics, as well as his observation of such 
pursuits, a source of healthy recreation from 
more exhausting toil. But, notwithstanding 
such precaution, and the favourable influence 
of a naturally hopeful mind and a constant 
flow of cheerful spirits, his health declined. 
Indeed, preaching as he did, out of doors every 
day, in all weather, through the whole season 
of hot and cold, once or twice each day, 
and frequently four sermons on the Sabbath, 



84 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

must destroy any constitution not to take into 
the account his determined application to 
study, which filled up every moment that could 
be seized for that purpose, between four o'clock 
in the morning and ten at night. His removal 
at the end of a year from the St. Anstell cir- 
cuit to the Plymouth Dock circuit, which now 
took place, was no doubt favourable, in some 
degree, to his health, in the change of labour 
which it secured, though it did not relax its in- 
tensity. 

The same popularity, attracting immense 
crowds — the same divine blessing attending 
upon the word preached — the same providen- 
tial care exercised over him, and the same ap- 
plication to study, characterized this part of 
Mr. Clarke's history — as were so remarkable 
in his previous field; and the reader will not 
be surprised that we add, the same weakness 
of body followed him. We will give a few 
illustrations of some of these items, and hasten 
on with our narrative. 

Having an appointment to preach in Dock, 
at five o'clock in the morning, the year 
through, he went about with a lantern, in the 
dark winter mornings, to awaken those who 
he thought should attend the preaching. 

He was preaching out of doors near a hay- 
stack. A man, whom the truth had provoked, 
came with his pockets full of eggs, to hurl at 
the preacher. His movements were observed 
by a friend, with a determination to interfere, 



AN OPPOSER FOILED. 85 

if necessary. The persecutor took a side posi- 
tion, and soon, taking an egg from his pocket, 
lifted his hand, and squared himself for the 
attack. But a word arrested his attention, 
and he let his hand drop. Again it was lifted 
to throw the egg, and again he looked — lis- 
tened — was arrested by the word, and dropped 
his arm. Thus he was foiled several times in 
his purpose. He then began to hear with deep 
attention. Seriousness sat upon his counte- 
nance, and he stole nearer and nearer, as he 
drank in the word. His eye soon became 
fixed and the tears flowed freely. Involunta- 
rily, not knowing that he was watched, his 
hand stole into his pocket, and taking one egg 
after another, he dropped the whole on the 
ground. The man received lasting good. 

A friend lent him " Chambers's Encyclopae- 
dia." This was to him a library of itself. It 
enabled him greatly to enlarge the range of 
his general knowledge, as well as to enter upon 
some new branches of study. But the loan, by 
a sister of the celebrated Dr. Kennicott, of a 
copy of her brother's edition of the Hebrew 
Bible, was the marked event of this period of 
his advancement as a scholar. It was now just 
published, and this loan enabled him to avail 
himself of its advantages several years earlier 
than he otherwise could have done. The care- 
ful study of this work gave him his first know' 
ledge of Biblical criticism. 

Thus far we have here exhibited the charac- 
8 



Ob LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

ter of Mr. Clarke, in which the elements of a 
popular preacher, the traits of a hard student, 
the zeal of a devoted Christian, and the conse- 
crated ambition of a mind of no common power, 
are plainly seen. A somewhat different sphere 
of action will enable us to view his character, 
in the next chapter, in a still clearer lig;ht. 




SENT TO THE NORMAN ISLES. 87 



CHAPTER VIII. 

MISSIONARY LABOUR. 

Sent to the Norman Isles — Commences preaching at St. Hel- 
lier's, in Jersey — An escape from a mob — Another mob — 
Shameful conduct of a magistrate — The truth triumphs — His 
love for souls — Visit to the Island of Alderney — A primitive 
introduction — His cordial reception at Alderney — Conduct 
of the " Gentry" — Instability of popular favour — "A brand 
plucked from the burning" — Mr. Wesley's visit to the Nor- 
man Isles — Mr. Clarke's marriage to Miss Mary Cooke — Op- 
position from Miss Cooke's mother — Mr. Clarke's subsequent 
family — Cleanliness next to godliness j an incident — The 
reader introduced to Mr. Clarke's study — His Polyglot Bible 
— The extraordinary way in which it was obtained — Ill- 
health. 

He who purposes to do the greatest possi- 
ble amount of good to his fellow-men, will often 
find himself called, in the providence of God, 
to labour for that end in a way and in a field 
of which he had no thought. So it was with 
Adam Clarke, when it was proposed that he 
should carry the gospel to the people of the 
"Norman Isles." 

The Norman Isles are a group lying near 
the French shore of the British Channel, the 
principal of which are Guernsey, Jersey, and 
Alderney. They belong to England, though 
settled by the French, who retain many of their 
own ancient laws. 



88 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

Mr. Clarke commenced his labours in St. 
Hellier's, in Jersey, November, 1786. He 
hired, for a preaching room, a ware-house, a 
little out of town. Private rooms were also 
used for the same purpose, in more central 
positions, when they could be obtained. Most 
of the inhabitants of this place understanding 
English, he commenced preaching at once. 
For the benefit of such as understood only 
French, he wrote, and read a sermon occasion- 
ally, not daring to trust himself to preach ex- 
tempore in that language, though he conversed 
in it readily. The word offered to these island- 
ers was generally well received. But the com- 
mon people, contrary to their usual practice, 
occasionally became opposers. At one time 
he went with some friends, belonging to the 
navy, to preach at a village, which could be 
reached by land, when the tide was high, only 
by a narrow beach. On this pass, a mob of 
the " baser sort" were assembled, to prevent 
him from passing. But the tide not being at 
its full, he crossed at another place, reached 
his appointment, and was nearly through his 
sermon before the mob was aware he had 
passed. They now came upon him with the 
fury of madmen. Many of his navy friends 
fled in great haste, leaving him to stem the as- 
sault as best he could. Going boldly out, he 
gained an eminence, and harangued them on 
the unreasonableness of injuring a man who 
came to do them good. The drums, horns, 



HIS ESCAPE FROM MOBS. 89 

and shouting ceased; and, with the exception 
of a few missiles from the outskirts of the mul- 
titude, he was permitted to pass peaceably 
away. 

He had a narrow escape for his life at 
another place. A mob assailed the place in 
which he was preaching, with almost every 
imaginary instrument of noise and of destruc- 
tion. The congregation instantly hurried away, 
excepting the members of the society, consist- 
ing of thirteen persons. A pistol was twice 
pointed at the preacher from the window 
within a few feet of the pulpit, and twice 
the powder flashed in the pan. Not finding 
a ready entrance, the mob formed the des- 
perate resolution of pulling the house down 
upon the heads of the little band. They had 
so far succeeded in sapping its foundation that 
it seemed about to fall, when Mr. Clarke said 
to his friends, u I will go out to them, trusting 
in God; they seek not you, but me." Find- 
ing him resolute in this purpose, a stout young 
man answered, " I will go with you." They 
opened the door, and were met by a shower of 
stones, but were uninjured. As if moved by 
one impulse, the crowd, who, a moment before 
were cursing, shouting, throwing stones at the 
house, and threatening to seize the preacher 
and cast him into the neighbouring mill-sluice, 
now opened a passage-way for him, and in per- 
fect silence allowed him to reach a place of 
safety. The little band followed their pastor, 
8* 



yU LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

"not a dog wagging his tongue." But no 
sooner was the prey escaped than the multi- 
tude, as if just aroused from a dream, broke 
forth into fresh violence, attacked the house, 
and left it in ruins. The next Sabbath, no- 
thing daunted, he stood amid the ruins, to of- 
fer this persecuting people redemption through 
the blood of atonement. Again the mob as- 
sailed him with great violence. Gaining an in- 
fluence over those nearest him, he succeeded in 
obtaining a hearing. He then reminded them 
that he was alone, unarmed, and a stranger; 
that they — a multitude of armed men — were 
thus showing their bravery! He had come to 
call them from wickedness to the service of the 
living God. He paused, and they began to 
shout, " he is a brave fellow, — he shall preach, 
and we will hear him." They did hear him, 
and many in that place found " peace in be- 
lieving." 

Though he had thus triumphed over the 
mob, he had one more battle to fight. It was 
with the magistrate. As Mr. Clarke was 
preaching out of doors the following Sabbath, 
near the ruins of his chapel, the magistrate 
came against him with a mob, and a drummer 
at its head. He seized him, dragged him from 
the pulpit, and delivered him to the drummer, 
who, with his companion, drove him from town, 
beating him at times with his drumsticks. 
From this misusage he was prostrate for seve- 
ral weeks. But he returned, to assert his 



HIS LOVE FOR SOULS. 91 

right as an Englishman on English territory, 
to preach freely the gospel, and to see his ene- 
mies ashamed and silenced, and the word of 
God glorified. 

While thus in " peril among his own coun- 
trymen," the love of souls constrained him to 
write as follows to a friend: "Never did I 
comprehend what is implied in watching over 
souls, as I do now. My feelings are so in- 
creased, and my concern so deepened to get 
eternal souls brought to, and kept with Jesus, 
that any backsliding among the people is a 
sword to my soul, and gives me some of the 
most poignant sensations. My conscience ac- 
quits me of a desire even to write a letter which 
is not necessary, or for the glory of God ; for 
I find that in this, as in all other respects, it 
is full time to have done with all trifling." 
He says again: " I am determined to conquer 
or die. I have taken this motto from the 
Greek, and placed it before me on the mantel- 
piece : ' Stand thou as a beaten anvil to the 
stroke ; for it is the property of a good warrior 
to be flayed alive, and yet to conquer.' " 

In the spirit above indicated, he sought new 
fields of labour among the surrounding islands. 
That of Alderney was at this time reported to 
be without the efficient preaching of the gos- 
pel. There he purposed to offer the word of 
life. This intention having become public, it 
was rumoured that the governor of Alderney 
had threatened to prohibit his landing, and, in 



92 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

case he found him there, to transport him, a 
close prisoner, to a small island near, on which 
was a light-house only. In consequence of 
this report, the captains of vessels sailing for 
Alderney refused him a passage, and it was 
not until after much watching and waiting 
that he succeeded in obtaining one. No one 
had invited him to the island. Not one of its 
inhabitants were known to him. The words 
of our Lord to his disciples, when sent to the 
" lost sheep of the house of Israel," occurred to 
him : " Into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, 
Peace be to this house; and in the same house 
remain, eating and drinking such things as 
they give." Luke x. 5, 7. Thus impressed, he 
walked into the town, and when in the midst of 
it observed a poor cottage. Into this he en- 
tered, with a " peace be this house." To the 
occupants, an old gentleman and lady, he told 
the purpose for which he had came to the 
island. They bade him welcome, set before 
him a portion of their homely fare, pointed to a 
little chamber in which he might lodge, and 
offered their house for a preaching room. Be- 
ing thus provided, he requested them to circu- 
late an advertisement for preaching there that 
evening. The news of the stranger's arrival, 
and his strange purpose, spread with great ra- 
pidity. Long before the time appointed for 
preaching a multitude had run together. To 
them, though fatigued by his voyage, he spake 
the words of eternal life. Having dismissed 



CONDUCT OF THE GENTRY. 93 

them "with a promise to preach again the next 
evening, he had hardly been in bed twenty 
minutes before his hostess awoke him, saying, 
that a company of the gentry had come to see 
him, and hear what he had to say, and he 
must come down and preach to them. He 
obeyed the summons immediately, and found 
the room quite full again. With great free- 
dom he showed them, in his exhortation, the 
need they had of a Saviour, and invited them 
to turn from all their sins unto the living God. 
Great seriousness pervaded the company, and 
the Spirit of God was present to awaken. 
Before the next evening arrived he was again 
preaching to a large company. While at din- 
ner the next day, the constable came in great 
haste, saying, that a number of gentlemen and 
ladies were waiting to hear him preach, and 
that one of the governor's large store-rooms, at 
a place called the Bray, had been cleared for 
that purpose. He hasted with the messenger, 
and found a large number of the gentry, who, 
however, had admitted enough of the "common 
people" to fill the place. To this attentive 
audience he preached from Prov. xii. 26 ; show- 
ing that the righteous was more excellent than 
his ungodly neighbour, however great, rich, 
wise, or important that ungodly person might 
appear in the sight of men. 

The evening appointment was met; and on 
the following Sabbath he preached, by invita- 
tion, in the Episcopal church; and in the even- 



94 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

ing again in the governor's store-room. On 
Monday, greatly against the wishes of the peo- 
ple, who said, we need such a preacher and 
such preaching, he entered a vessel to return ; 
but it was stopped by a sand-bar. So he re- 
turned, and preached that evening. The peo- 
ple rejoiced, saying, they hoped the vessel 
would remain fast in the sand until the next 
spring-tides ! Many invitations, urging him to 
make their houses his home while he should 
remain on the island, came from the gentry; 
but he regarded the command, " Go not from 
house to house" as binding on him and persisted 
in accepting only the poor cottagers' hospitality, 
whose invitation was first given. On Tuesday 
the wind and tide favouring, he returned to 
Guernsey. 

Thus was an effectual door opened for the 
work of reformation in Alderney, which re- 
sulted in the immediate spread of Scripture 
knowledge, and the establishment of flourish- 
ing societies. 

Such labours and such devotion to the spiri- 
tual interests of men were not unblest of the 
Head of the Church. The following incident, 
among many which might be narrated, will 
illustrate this: 

Mr. Clarke was preaching at one time at five 
o'clock in the morning, when a soldier wandered 
into the chapel. Though but partially recovered 
from the indulgence of the previous night, he 
was so powerfully wrought upon through the 



BRAND PLUCKED FROM THE BURNING. 95 

word of the Lord, that he went away deeply 
convicted, and, after three days of great agony 
of mind, was made joyful through faith in 
Christ. His wife, also, was brought to seek 
for the pardon of her sins, and both became 
worthy members of the society under Mr. 
Clarke's pastoral care. Not long after this 
event, when Mr. Clarke was recovering from a 
prostrating sickness, this poor, honest-hearted 
soldier called to see him. He sat down by his 
pastor's side, with great apparent tenderness 
and affection, and, seeing his pale face and 
emaciated form, burst into tears. The love of 
this sincere disciple of Christ, whose feet had 
been so wonderfully taken from the slippery 
places of sin, was a greater satisfaction to Mr. 
Clarke than all the flattering words of uncon- 
verted men. He felt that God spoke to him 
approvingly, through this poor man's happy 
change and holy life. 

Mr. Clarke having been in this missionary 
field about eighteen months, was visited by the 
director of his labours, under Christ, — the 
Rev. John Wesley. Mr. Wesley, after exam- 
ining the field and giving directions for its fu- 
ture improvement, returned to England, and 
Mr. Clarke with him. During this visit Mr. 
Clarke was married to Miss Mary Cooke, 
whose acquaintance he had formed when on 
the Bradford circuit. Miss Cooke belonged to 
a much esteemed and pious family, and was 
worthy of her distinguished husband. Her 



96 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

mother, — a widow, and member of the Episco- 
pal church, — had valued highly the labours and 
character of Mr. Wesley, and had entertained 
him in her family, when he was visiting that 
part of his field of labour. Through him, his 
young helper had shared the same hospitality ; 
she had learned to respect the piety and ta- 
lents of the younger as well as the elder evan- 
gelist. But when his hand was offered to her 
daughter she was taken by surprise, and gave 
a positive refusal to the proposed union. Her 
only objection seemed to be, the sphere in 
which the suitor moved. To her, it was like 
turning her daughter upon the wide, unhonour- 
ed world. 

All parties appealed for counsel to Mr. Wes- 
ley, whose high respect for parental autho- 
rity led him to lean to the side of the mo- 
ther. With his characteristic decision he 
told Mr. Clarke, that if he married without 
the consent of the mother, he could not re- 
main in the connection. This was a strait 
place for the young couple, who were of one 
heart in the matter, and who both reverenced 
Mr. Wesley. They first laid the case in spe- 
cial prayer before God, — for (observed Mr. 
Clarke very properly) this was a holy cause, 
deeply concerning not only himself but the in- 
terests of religion. Mr. Clarke then made a 
particular explanation of the case to Mr. Wes- 
ley, which so far convinced him of the right- 
fulness of his position, that he lent his valua- 



HIS MARRIAGE, AND FAMILY. 97 

ble influence in interceding with Mrs. Cooke. 
She was induced to retract her positive pro- 
hibition, but did not yield her approbation. 
Though for many years the mother refused a 
maternal recognition of Mr. and Mrs. Clarke, 
yet she lived, it is believed, to see, and in some 
measure to retrieve, her error in this protracted 
opposition. 

Though out of the order of the narrative 
w r e may state here, that the family of Dr. 
Clarke was a numerous and happy one. He 
had twelve children — six sons and six daugh- 
ters, half of whom (viz. three sons and three 
daughters) were living at the time of the Doc- 
tor's death. 

Mr. Clarke having been married on the 17th 
of April, 1788, returned with Mrs. Clarke to 
his field of missionary labour. His excellent 
partner entered heartily into his labours, visit- 
ing the poor and the sick, and taking charge 
of the spiritual interest, in part, of the female 
portion of the society with which she was im- 
mediately connected. Having been educated 
in a somewhat elevated station in life, her 
sense of propriety was often offended by the 
habits of her female parishioners, whose tem- 
poral, as well as religious, interest she sought 
with great diligence. She laboured for their 
spiritual good in connection with the improve- 
ment of their social habits. Their want of 
cleanliness had been a source of constant an- 
noyance to her husband, and led him, while 



98 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

sojourning with the kind cottagers during his 
visit to the island of Alderney, to find an ex- 
cuse for cooking his own food, which he did 
constantly. " On one occasion," says a friend, 
" Mrs. Clarke took courage to speak to a good 
woman, whose children never appeared either 
to have had their faces washed, or their hair 
combed: ' Do you think, 'said she, placing the 
subject in the least objectionable form, by pro- 
posing the question, — 

" 'Do you think your children are as orderly 
as they might be?' " 

" 'Indeed they are,' " was the quick reply. 

" ' Would it not be better to wash them?' " 

" 'Oh! away with your English pride.' " 

" ' Does not Mr. Wesley say — that cleanli- 
ness is next to godliness?' " answered Mrs. 
Clarke, hoping by this reference (as she knew 
the woman entertained great respect for him) 
to win her over to compliance with more decent 
habits. 

" 'I am thankful,' " she exclaimed in re- 
turn, " 'that is not written in my Bible.' 

Having recorded a sketch of Mr. Clarke's 
public labours in these islands, we will turn 
our attention to some more private matters, 
yet those of no less interest in studying the 
history of the man. We will, if the reader 
please, step into his study, and see if it often 
has an occupant, and if there is any thing ac- 
complished there, amid such multiplied out-of- 
door labours, and among so poor a people, who 



a visit to mr. clarke's study. 99 

afford their preacher and his family but poor 
accommodations in board and lodging. 

We must be sure to enter the study by four 
o'clock in the morning, for if we enter later — 
say, at six o'clock, he may have been there two 
hours, and be already away at the call of other 
duties. We must also be there in those frag- 
ments of time — by others generally thrown 
away as useless — but which are like the gold- 
dust that the workman carefully collects, and 
in time makes into a solid bar — for these mo- 
ments we must be on the watch, to know all 
the time Adam Clarke spent in his study. 
But at this time his preaching territory was 
not so extensive as in England. He was 
mostly in one large town, going occasionally 
from island to island, as we have noticed. The 
Hebrew Bible was found always at hand. 
The Greek Septuagint was now examined, and 
compared with the Hebrew, and short notes 
made in the margin of a Bible, for that pur- 
pose. He found in the public library of one 
of the islands a Bible, containing the text in 
nine languages, namely: Hebrew, Samaritan, 
Chaldee, Syriac, Latin, Greek, Arabic, Per- 
sian, and Ethiopic. He can already read the 
Hebrew, Latin, and Greek to some advantage. 
As the Samaritan, Chaldee, and Syriac are 
easily learned when the Hebrew is. mastered, 
be has obtained the elementary books of these 
languages, and we find him now learning to 



100 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

read them. The Arabic, Persian, and Ethic- 
pic were acquired at a later period. 

Having sketched the history of Mr. Clarke's 
public labours and intense study in his present 
field, the reader is prepared to learn that he was, 
at times, utterly broken down in health. In- 
deed, it is wonderful that so prodigal an expen- 
diture of strength left him any constitution for 
future service in the church. 

So lingering was his disease, that the people 
were greatly alarmed, and proclaimed a day of 
fasting and prayer, and weeping "to snatch 
their poor preacher from the grave." The phy- 
sician recommended a return to his old habits, 
on an extensive circuit, of much riding, and less 
application in the study. The necessity of this 
hastened his final removal to England, where 
we shall next follow his history. 



A COMPLIMENT FROM MR. WESLEY. 101 



CHAPTER IX. 



CONSTANCY OF PURPOSE IN AFFLICTION. 

A compliment from Mr. Wesley — The Bristol circuit — "In la- 
bours more abundant" — Mrs. Clarke — Mr. Clarke's opinion 
of frequent preaching — Visits the sick — An old pilgrim — A 
gift from an eccentric minister — Mr. Clarke's library — Re- 
moves to Dublin — Personal and family afflictions — Extreme 
Destitution — The " Stranger's Friend Society" — Becomes a 
student in Dublin Medical College — His knowledge of anato- 
my — Mr. Clarke at a book auction. 

In July, 1789, Mr. Clarke was appointed to 
the Bristol circuit ; and to the city of Bristol he 
immediately removed his wife and infant son. 
The reason given by Mr. Wesley for removing 
Mr. Clarke to that place was highly complimen- 
tary to the latter. He remarked to a company 
of Bristol friends at dinner, soon after confer- 
ence, " I have a little self-interest in sending 
Adam Clarke and his wife among you this year ; 
I desire their company myself." Mr. Clarke 
being made " Superintendent of the Circuit," 
that is, having a general oversight over the 
character and labours of his colleagues, and 
the business of the societies, his labour was 
even more arduous than formerly. His health 
continued exceedingly feeble, yet he abated 
none of his former application to the duties of 
y* 



102 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

the ministry. The following records may be 
taken in attestation of the truth of this re- 
mark: "I am almost wrought out with riding 
about, preaching, meeting classes, &c. Yester- 
day, I rode from Bath to Bristol, and back again 
this morning; met five classes, and preached 
once — have yet to preach twice, and meet six 
classes : to-morrow morning I return to Bris- 
tol, as we begin to meet classes at six in the 
morning, and continue, at short intervals, the 
whole day — and this continuing until the lat- 
ter end of the week; but, blessed be God, I 
am willing to spend and be spent in such a 
work as this. I am almost prostrated for the 
present." 

On another occasion he makes the following 
record: "At seven in the morning I met the 
Bride street society, and gave an exhortation; 
then preached at Guinea street; thence to 
Westbury, where I preached at two o'clock, 
and gave tickets; then back to Bristol — fa- 
tigued and wet — preached at five, and met the 
society; the next morning at five preached 
again, and then rode to Marsh, where, scarcely 
able to speak, I preached again, and gave 
tickets; from Marsh, the next morning, back 
to Pensford; from thence to Clutton, through 
a severe tempest — wet to the skin ; Thursday 
to Kingswood — preached at five, and returned 
home to assist Mr. Hodgson to hold a watch- 
night at Bristol, but was scarcely able to move 
for more than an hour after I got home. I at 



"IN labours more abundant." 103 

length went to lend some aid, and Bro. Hodg- 
son and I held on, till about eleven o'clock, 
when we made an apology for retiring, exhort- 
ing as many as conveniently could to remain, 
and sing and pray the new year in. Though 
preaching had begun at seven o'clock, scarcely 
a person attempted to go away. We left them, 
and one or two went to prayer. Just as I was 
passing to my bed-room, I thought I would go 
to the lobby window and take a last view of 
them, at which moment one of the singers was 
giving out a hymn. I thought the meeting 
would close for lack of persons to pray ; I will 
go down. Mr. Hodgson advised me not to go. 
I hesitated a moment, but finding my soul 
drawn out in pity for the multitude, I said, ' I 
will go down in the name of the Lord.' Mr. 
Hodgson would not be left behind. I had be- 
fore felt much of the presence of God, but 
now it was doubled. We continued singing 
and praying, and exhorting, until half-past 
twelve o'clock — during which time strong pray- 
ers and tears bore testimony to the present 
power of God. How excellent is the Lord in 
his working ! How wondrous in his mercy ! 
Lord, I am thine, save thou me ! I am willing 
to breathe my last breath in thy work!" 

Such were the public labours of Mr. Clarke 
at tli is time. Let us turn our attention, for a 
moment, to the domestic circle, and see how 
his excellent wife was engaged about this time, 
and we shall learn how far she sympathized 



104 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

with her husband in his zealous efforts to save 
souls. Upon this home-sympathy will depend 
much of his animation in the work. Mrs. 
Clarke thus jots down her own engagements: 
" I went Friday afternoon with Mr. Wesley to 
Kingswoocl, and did not return until Saturday 
afternoon. He is going again to-day, and my 
sister is preparing to accompany him. My 
dear boy claims my attention. I have a class 
to meet at half-past two o'clock, and to see tea 
prepared against the return of Mr. Wesley and 
his company at four. Then preaching at five; 
society meeting at six; also to see all things 
previously in order, and to sit as mistress at 
the supper-table at eight. So much for to- 
day. To-morrow I must see all in order for 
an early breakfast — to drive out with Mr. 
Wesley — tea again at five — attend preaching 
at half-past six, and then lead a class after- 
wards." 

If Adam Clarke was enabled to accomplish 
an extraordinary amount of labour in the 
course of his life, he owed this ability, in a 
very important degree, to the judicious manage- 
ment and assistance of this excellent woman. 

Lest the above records of Mr. Clarke's ex- 
cessive preaching should provoke some young 
man to indiscreet exertions, we will present 
Mr. Clarke's opinion, in his old age, of fre- 
quent preaching, when the experience of life 
had instructed his zeal. He says: " He who 
preaches the gospel as he ought, must do it 



VISITS THE SICK. 105 

with his -whole strength of body and soul, and 
he, who undertakes a labour of this kind thrice 
every Lord's day, will infallibly shorten his 
life by it." 

In the above accounts of Mr. Clarke's pub- 
lic labours no reference is made to pastoral 
visits. These he did not neglect. He was 
especially attentive to the sick and aged. 
There was a lady in Bristol, who had attained 
to an extraordinary age. She was poor, and 
infirm, but deeply pious. With her he often 
prayed during his labours in that city; and 
some years after he had removed to another 
place, he called and inquired after her welfare. 
He w r as shown into the room where she lay, 
and, going up to the bed-side, he accosted her 
in the frank way in which he had been accus- 
tomed to address her. On hearing his name, 
she sprang up in the bed, and, grasping his 
hand, poured forth blessings upon him — bless- 
ings (he observed, in narrating the circum- 
stance) which he believed he had never lost, 
and he had received hundreds through her 
prayers. The conversation proceeded. 

Mr. Clarke. "At what age are you now T , 
Mrs. Summerhill?" 

Mrs. S. "I am in my one hundred and 
sixth year, and my daughter there is in her 
seventy-fifth." 

Mr. 0. " Though excluded through infirm- 
ity, from the ordinances of God's house, I 
trust you realize his sacred presence ?" 



106 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

Mrs. S. "As a substitute for the public 
means of grace, I read the Church Service 
daily. I can read the smallest print." 

She then read a portion of Scripture without 
hesitancy. 

Mr. Clarke formed many valuable acquaint- 
ances in Bristol, with men of distinction both 
in the Church, and in the more common employ- 
ments of life. Some of his acquaintances, like 
himself, were just rising into notoriety. About 
this period he became known to Sir Humphrey 
Davy and Robert Southey. 

Mr. Henry Moor, a man of prominence at 
that time, and subsequently one of the biogra- 
phers of John Wesley, and an early friend of 
Mr. Clarke's, though much his senior, speaks 
of a visit to Mr. Clarke, while he was residing 
in Bristol. " He took me," says Mr. Moor, 
in his plain, cjear, quiet way, "into his study, 
and showed me his library, with which I was 
greatly astonished, for my own would almost 
go into my saddle-bags. He had many choice 
books, — very choice, — among the rest a large 
Polyglot Bible. We conversed awhile, and I 
said, Brother Clarke, you have a nice collec- 
tion of books, but what can you do with them ? 
How do you command time to use them ? On 
our circuits, where we have so much to do, I 
find it difficult to keep the doors open that have 
been opened; and sufficiently hard to retain 
any thing I know of the languages. How will 



REMOVES TO DUBLIN. 107 

you do?" Mr. Clarke smiled and said, "I will 
do as well as I can." 

Mr. Moor was aware, and therefore told it 
in his conversations concerning his early friend, 
" That he obtained all his learning by redeem- 
ing the time." 

In 1790 Mr. Clarke was removed to Dublin, 
and made general superintendent, under Mr. 
Wesley, of the religious interest of his societies, 
in that part of the kingdom. To be so far re- 
moved from his religious friends, and his asso- 
ciates in labours and success, was not agreeable 
to Mr. Clarke ; but he received the appoint- 
ment as a cross to be borne for Christ's saxe. 
It proved a year of the severest trial of his 
ministry thus far, and, perhaps, we might add, 
of any subsequent period. The state of vital 
piety in the societies was lamentably low. 
Division of feeling and bitter controversies ex- 
isted among the members in Dublin. The pro- 
secution of his public duties was embarrassed 
also by severe personal and family afflictions. 
On arriving in the city, the building of the 
parsonage was in progress. He began to oc- 
cupy it before the plaster was sufficiently dry, 
and he was seized consequently with a violent 
cold which resulted in a fever. Just previous 
to his own prostration, a lovely and only 
daughter was taken from him by death ; and 
while he lay helpless and suffering, Mrs. Clarke 
was taken sick. He says to a friend, " My Mary 
and I were both ill of a fever at the same time, 



108 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

she in one room and I in another ; and so soon 
as I was able to move at all, I crept upon my 
hands and knees to her bed-side, to see how 
she was, for I was too weak to walk." 

Writing to a member of his family in Eng- 
land, while yet unable to rise from his bed, he 
uses the following language respecting the con- 
solations of divine grace in this trying hour: 

" You will doubtless wish to know in what 
stead my religion stood me in a time of sore 
trouble. I cannot wait to enumerate particu- 
lars, nor am I able. Suffice it to say, God did 
noj leave my soul a moment. I was kept 
through the whole in such a state of perfect 
resignation, that not a single desire that God 
would either remove or lessen the pain took 
place in my mind, from the beginning until 
now. I could speak of nothing but mercy. 
Jesus was my all and in all. The Lord God 
omnipotent reigneth ! Blessed, blessed forever 
be the name of the Lord ! * * — For five months 
we have had sore afflictions, but the Lord does 
all things well." 

A winter of unusual severity was no small 
item added to the inconvenience which his 
family suffered. His income, when his allow- 
ance was fully paid, was a meagre support in- 
deed in such a time, but his people being gene- 
rally of the poorer class, and being themselves 
pressed by the severity of the season, and 
rendered uninterested by their dissensions, he 
wns left without even the full amount which he 



EXTREME DESTITUTION. 109 

might claim from them. The recital of one 
touching incident will suffice to illustrate this 
sad part of our narrative. It is from his own 
lips, at a subsequent time. " We were allowed 
a little over two dollars a week for board. We 
were expected, it is true, to be out a great deal, 
but to this dependent state of things, neither 
my Mary nor myself could consent. Fuel was 
very dear and the weather was intensely cold. 
On one occasion, having neither food nor 
money, I went to my books, and selecting, with 
an aching heart, some which might be better 
spared than the rest, I repaired with them to a 
bookseller, who gave me twelve dollars for what 
cost me thirty-six ; the hunger and the cold I 
would have borne rather than the loss of a 
portion of my small library, but that my wife 
and children should lack such scanty comfort 
as this sacrifice supplied, was a thought not to 
be endured for a moment." 

These afflictions were felt, in their conse- 
quences, during the whole of his year's resi- 
dence in Dublin. The reader must be curious, 
therefore, to know what he was able to accom- 
plish in the work of saving souls, and in 
his studies, so diligently pursued heretofore. 
Scarcely had he recovered sufficient strength 
to be on his feet, before he might have been 
seen, "passing along the streets, a lank figure, 
with long hair, blue coat, and a cocked hat, 
appearing to see no man as he passed on his 
way, taking long strides, as if measuring the 



110 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

ground," hastening from chapel to chapel, to 
meet the hundreds of souls who waited to hear 
the word of life from his lips. 

In pity to the many poor of the city who 
were uncared for, he was principally instru- 
mental in forming a " Stranger's Friend So- 
ciety." Two features of this society are 
worthy of notice. The only condition of as- 
sistance was present want. The members 
of the Methodist Society were not to be 
claimants, because other specific provisions 
were made for them in times of distress. Mr. 
Clarke had the satisfaction of knowing that 
this friendly effort for the "strangers" resulted 
in a permanently established society, being in 
a high state of prosperity, and patronized by 
some of the heads of the English government, 
at the time of his death. 

To advance his education, he entered him- 
self as a student in the Dublin Medical Col- 
lege. To the science of anatomy he gave 
special attention, as he had already done to 
geology and astronomy. 

By his connection with the college, he formed 
the acquaintance of the learned professors, with 
one of whom, Dr. Percival, he continued on 
terms of intimacy until his death. Such ready 
admission of Mr. Clarke into familiar acquain- 
tance, on terms of equality, by contemporary 
learned men (a familiarity which his self-respect 
and nice sense of honour forbade him to seek,) 
-is an evidence of their estimate of his ability 



DEATH OF MR. WESLEY. Ill 

and moral worth. The reader will have occa- 
sion to observe that from this period of Mr. 
Clarke's history, honour seemed to seek him to 
the end of his life. 

Mr. Clarke received, during his severe illness, 
a letter of condolence from Mr. Wesley, being 
one of the last letters he ever wrote, as that re- 
markable man passed away from earth a few 
weeks after its date. His high esteem for Mr. 
Clarke's talents and usefulness as a minister 
were often expressed in various ways, but most 
emphatically, by making him, by his will, one 
of the executors of his literary property. Over 
the event of his death, Mr. Clarke mourned, as a 
son for his father. 

After this year of peculiarly severe affliction, 
in which the constancy of his purpose to suffer 
as well as to do God's will, was tried as by fire, 
Mr. Clarke removed from Dublin to Manches- 
ter, his next field of labour. 



112 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 



CHAPTER X. 

CHANGES AND INCIDENTS. 

The death of the Rev. John Wesley — The consequent change in 
the government of the societies — The " Deed of Declaration" — 
111 health of Mr. Clarke and his family — Death of a little son — 
An encouraging incident — A hasty spirit reproved — A story — 
Total abstinence — His opinion of the sale of strong drink — 
Political excitements — Removes to Liverpool — An uncom- 
fortable residence — The imprisoned leaf — Mr. Clarke attacked 
by two ruffians, and nearly killed — Great success in preach- 
ing — Mrs. Clarke's assistance in visiting the sick. 

The Conference at Manchester from which 
Mr. Clarke received his appointment, was the 
first after the death of Mr. Wesley. It was, 
therefore, an important era in the history of 
the societies which, under the Great Head of the 
Church, he had formed. We have, in another 
place, reminded the reader, that, during the 
life of this distinguished man, the whole " con- 
nection" was under his superintendence. After 
advising with those whose position enabled 
them to sit in council with him, he appointed 
the preachers their places of labour. By his 
direction, therefore, Mr. Clarke and his col- 
leagues, had acted thus far. Now that he 
and his brother, Charles Wesley, were no 
longer in the church on earth, a new state 



THE DEED OF DECLARATION. 113 

of things must at once exist. The curious 
reader, not conversant with this part of the 
history of the branch of Christ's church of 
which we are speaking, may wish to know by 
what authority Mr. Clarke and his companions 
in labour, were now removed from place to place, 
and may need such information, fully to under- 
stand what may follow in this history. 

Seven years before his death, Mr. Wesley 
drew up what is called a " Deed of Declara- 
tion," by which his people were to be governed 
after his decease. This "Deed" conferred the 
authority of Mr. Wesley on one hundred of his 
preachers, whose names were entered upon it, and 
whom he thereby appointed. This authority was 
to continue with that number always. When any 
vacancies occurred from any cause, those who 
remained were to fill them by elections from 
the other preachers. But this authority was 
subject to many qualifications and restrictions, 
as we shall see. This "hundred" is called the 
"legal hundred," and their name and authority 
exists, as Wesley formed them, without any es- 
sential alteration, unto this day. This hundred 
then received the power to say where each 
preacher should labour. They gave the nomi- 
nation of the several ministers on the various 
circuits, to a committee of representatives of 
the people chosen by themselves, and in the 
confirmation of these appointments, they allowed 
all the preachers to vote with themselves. Thus 
it is now, and thus it was essentially when Mr. . 
10* 



114 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

Clarke was sent to Manchester circuit, where 
we shall now follow him. 

We need hardly inform the reader, that he 
commenced his toil in this field in ill health. 
He soon suffered a painful bereavement. His 
youngest son, Adam, died in his father's arms 
after a sickness of a few hours. The grief oc- 
casioned by this bereavement never left Mr. 
Clarke. Whenever, even in old age, this little 
one's name was mentioned, or any incident 
brought him to mind, his eyes instantly filled 
with tears. His feelings would never allow him 
to name another child Adam. 

Ever watchful of his own spirit, Mr. Clarke 
sought to correct a hasty spirit in any of the 
people of his charge. To one thus sometimes 
erring, he told the following story : — 

Athenodorus had been many years in the 
court of Augustus, and being advanced in life, 
requested permission of the emperor to retire 
into the country, that he might pass the even- 
ing of his days in peace and privacy. On the 
wish being granted, he took leave of Augustus 
in the following words : " Caesar, I have an ad- 
vice to give thee. Whenever thou art angry, 
never say or do any thing until thou hast dis- 
tinctly repeated to thyself the twenty-four let- 
ters of the alphabet." The emperor grasped 
his hand. " Athenedorus, thou must stay. I 
have still need of thee." 

After telling this anecdote, Mr. Clarke ad- 
dressed his friend in the following; strain: — 



TEMPERANCE. 115 

" You will readily perceive that he who sup- 
presses his anger until he has repeated twenty- 
four letters, is not likely to do or say any thing, 
which, from its precipitancy, would cause pain 
on calm reflection." The advice was favoura- 
bly received, and profitably improved. 

Mr. Clarke, from the commencement of his 
ministry, for the age and community in which 
he lived, took high ground against the use of 
intoxicating drinks. Fifty years ago, the time to 
which our biography now refers, the use of strong 
drinks, even by ministers, was very common. 
When Mr. Clarke was in Dublin, the general 
prevalence of drunkenness greatly grieved him. 
He set his face against it, and, to give his 
preaching the greater point, declined the social 
wine so universally proffered. For this he was 
ridiculed by some, blamed by others, as over- 
scrupulous, and hurting his cause by an ultra- 
position, and by a few commended as a consis- 
tent and sensible man. Soon after he went to 
Manchester, a young married couple came to 
him for advice respecting their worldly busi- 
ness. They purposed, they said, to open a pub- 
lic house. This, Mr. Clarke knew, involved the 
necessity, as then viewed by the public, of sell- 
ing strong drinks. " I would die on a dung- 
hill first," was his strong and indignant reply. 

Amidst Mr. Clarke's labours and success on 
the Manchester circuit, he met with serious and 
discouraging obstacles. The dreadful civil con- 
vulsions which were breaking down all the an- 



116 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

cient forms of society in France, were pro- 
ducing great excitements in England. Men 
had few calm thoughts about religion, amidst 
the heated discussions concerning the " divine 
right of kings," and "liberty, and the rights 
of the people." Many ministers became parti- 
sans in these contentions. Mr. Clarke, though 
decidedly in sympathy with the efforts of the 
people for a larger liberty, when sought by pro- 
per means, abstained from politics, in his public 
ministrations. He says : — " I kept the minds 
of the people occupied, in my preaching, with 
the doctrines of the cross. I dwelt everywhere 
upon the importance of a pure heart and its 
consequent holy conduct, and God blessed the 
word." His motto was that the minister was a 
man of one work, and that work was the salva- 
tion of the people through the blood of Christ. 

After a ministry of two years on the Man- 
chester circuit, Mr. Clarke removed to Liver- 
pool in the summer of 1783. The law of the con- 
nection to which Mr. Clarke belonged, allowed 
the continuance of a minister in the same field 
of labour only three successive years. But at the 
time of which we are now writing, few were al- 
lowed to remain after two years. Hence Mr. 
Clarke's frequent removals. It will be observed 
that he returned a second or third time to the 
same field. The rule, however, was subsequently 
made to forbid the return of a preacher to the 
same circuit, until he had been absent eight 
years. 



THE IMPRISONED SHAVING. 117 

Though now again residing in a city, we 
must not suppose he lived elegantly. His resi- 
dence he thus describes : — " The house is small. 
The street in which it stands, miserable. The 
neighbourhood, wretchedly poor and miserably 
wicked. So confined is our situation, that a 
poor shaving, which happened to be carried by 
a high wind into our yard, was kept prisoner 
there nearly six weeks, unable to effect its 
escape. I watched that shaving from day to 
day. Sometimes it would rise a little, and 
move from one spot to another, by favour of an 
eddy of the air. On one occasion, as by a 
strong and desperate effort, it rose about a yard, 
but, alas ! dropped again. At length I set the poor 
captive at liberty. ' ' To the credit of his peoople, 
this uncomfortable position he was not required 
to occupy many months. While he was away, 
on the duties of his circuit, they removed his 
family to one of the most healthy, desirable 
parts of Liverpool. The grateful feelings that 
attended his surprise, when, on returning, he 
found his wife and family cheerfully and con- 
veniently settled in their new home, were long 
cherished. 

Soon after he commenced his labours in Liver- 
pool, his life was nearly sacrificed to papal bi- 
gotry. He was returning from preaching one 
evening with his brother, Tracy Clarke, when 
suddenly he was felled to the ground by a stone 
striking him upon the head. He bled profusely, 
and was carried to his family, pale, fainting, 



118 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

and besmeared with blood. He lay between 
life and death for nearly a month. The wretched 
man who committed the crime, on being ar- 
rested, confessed that he was a Roman Catholic, 
and that he was moved to this act of violence, 
solely because he had chanced to step into the 
chapel and heard him preach the Protestant 
doctrine, though no allusion had been made to 
his own faith. 

Having recovered from this prostration, he 
renewed his exertions, the Lord's blessing at- 
tending them. He says in a letter dated Sept. 
13, 1793: — "Upon the commencement of my 
preaching here, the Lord began to work — 
crowds attended. Such times of refreshing 
from his presence I never saw. Should I die 
to-morrow, I shall praise God to all eternity, 
that I lived to the present time. The labour is 
severe. Nine or ten times a week, we have to 
preach, but God carries on his work, and this is 
enough. My soul lies at his feet. He has gra- 
ciously renewed and enlarged my commission. 
All is happiness and prosperity. We have a 
most blessed work; numbers are added, and 
multitudes are built up on our most holy faith. 
Such a year as this I never knew. All ranks and 
conditions come to hear us. The presence of 
God is with us : — his glory dwells in our land, 
and the shout of a king is in our camp." 

On one occasion three deists came to hear 
Mr. Clarke. He was dwelling upon the plan 
of salvation through Christ, his favourite topic. 



MRS. CLARKE VISITS THE SICK. 119 

He reasoned upon the stability of its foundation, 
the preciousness of its promises, and the exceed- 
ing love of Him who had purchased it by his blood, 
until his soul glowed with the inspiration of his 
theme. The deists listened, were first inter- 
ested, then deeply affected, and finally became 
supplicants for that salvation they had, until 
this moment, derided. One of them, with his 
wife, an accomplished and influential woman, 
united with the society to which Mr. Clarke 
ministered. So the word of God was glo- 
rified. 

While thus preaching, Mr. Clarke employed 
several hours each day in visiting the sick and 
distressed members of the society. In the 
evening he recounted to his wife the more espe- 
cial claims some had upon female care ; and, 
during the next day, she followed up his pas- 
toral visits, as well as attended to her class. 
Their children were numerous and very young, 
and Mrs. Clarke devoted herself to their nur- 
sery, discipline, and their juvenile recreations. 
General visiting was thus prevented, though 
both were keenly alive to the enjoyments of 
the social circle. 

Thus, with the co-operation of his excellent 
wife, did Mr. Clarke do all the work of a gos- 
pel minister, — preaching the word with all 
faithfulness, and visiting from house to house. 
How diligently he applied himself in his study 
during this period, will soon appear. 



120 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 



CHAPTER XL 



THE PULPIT AND THE FAMILY. 

Removal to London — Commencement of the Commentary — 
Pastoral labour — Frequent and long walks — Mr. Clarke's 
preaching — A pulpit scene — A family picture — Anotherglance 
at Mr. Clarke at home — The conversion of Mr. and Mrs. But- 
terworth — A tract on "The Use and Abuse of Tobacco" — 
Removal to Bristol circuit, 1798 — Publishes " Sturm's Re- 
flections" and other works — Removes to Liverpool, 1801 — 
Feelings at the age of forty — The conversion of a distin- 
guished scholar — Painful sickness — Induced by too much la- 
bour — A visit to his sick room — Renews his labours with 
characteristic energy. 

Mr. Clarke removed to London in 1795, 
and was continued in the field of labour (which 
included that city and the adjoining country) 
for three years. At this period he became set- 
tled in his purpose to write a commentary on 
the Old and New Testaments, and to make all 
his studies bear upon that enterprise. He 
commenced anew the critical study of the Bi- 
ble, and translated every word of the New Tes- 
tament from the original languages, examining 
closely the various readings, and comparing all 
with our common version. This task he ac- 
complished, in addition to his other duties, in 
about one year. 

He sought from every source every work 



PASTORAL LABOURS. 121 

which illustrated the manners, customs, and geo- 
graphy of those countries in which the differ- 
ent books of the Bible were written. He was 
especially diligent in collecting volumes which 
were known of the literature of the East, 
printed in their original languages. He de- 
voted his energies of mind to learn to read 
these correctly. 

He never allowed his studies to prevent 
him from fulfilling any obligation in his more 
public character. To save time, he made it 
an undeviating habit to return home after 
evening preaching. The distance was some- 
times ten miles, which he walked after nine 
o'clock, reaching home at midnight, and rising 
at his accustomed early hour in the morning. 
As he noted down the place where every ser- 
mon was preached, and the distance walked to 
deliver it, it is by this means estimated that 
he travelled, during the three years he was in 
London, over twenty-three hundred miles a 
year, for the purpose of preaching, besides his 
many and sometimes long walks for other pur- 
poses. He is spoken of by contemporaries, as 
making a marked appearance, as he started 
out on these excursions to deliver the message 
of salvation. His pale countenance, emaciated 
form — having not fully recovered his usual 
health — his hair worn long, and already nearly 
all grey — his long and quick strides — his eye 
intently looking forward, showed at once the 
hard student and the man earnestly pursuing a 



122 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

definite object. It is mentioned as one of his 
eccentricities, that he knew the number of 
steps required to walk from, his residence to 
the chapels in the city. Perhaps this resulted 
from his habit of inquiring into whatever might 
be learned. 

Having thus viewed Mr. Clarke on his way 
to the house of God, let us enter with him, and 
listen to one of his solemn appeals to the peo- 
ple. The place is Kingswood — the time Sab- 
bath morning. The chapel is very large, and 
crowded. The preacher ascends the pulpit as 
if he felt at home there. His prayer is an 
earnest and somewhat familiar pleading with 
God for his gracious presence with the people, 
and his divine assistance in the ministration of 
the word. He takes for his text Psalm xxxvi. 
7, 8, 9: "How excellent is thy loving kind- 
ness, God," &c. Not a sound is heard, save 
that of the speaker's voice, as he describes how 
God gives those who turn unto him, " to drink 
of the river of his pleasures." At this point 
he raises his voice, and with deep emotion 
cries out — "Who is miserable? Who is athirst? 
Who is willing to be made happy? Who is 
willing to be saved?" A wretched man in the 
congregation, who had long hardened his heart 
by a course of uncommon wickedness, at this 
moment cries out aloud, " I am, Lord ! I am ! 
I am!" A scene of confusion ensues for some 
moments, while the man continues to cry in 
agony of soul, for God to have mercy upon him. 



A SCENE IN HIS FAMILY. 123 

The speaker raises his voice again, amid the 
commotion, and says: "Listen." Instantly, 
all is quiet again. " Listen, for I have some- 
thing more to tell you. Something for every 
soul, — a great, an eternal good. I am just 
going to open to you another stream of the 
river of his pleasures !" After a few more im- 
passioned appeals, many are seen to weep, and 
there is heard the subdued cry of the convicted 
man amid the otherwise noiseless multitude. 
The service closed, the preacher hastens away 
to another waiting congregation. 

After thus going with Mr. Clarke to wit- 
ness his public ministrations, let us step into 
his family circle. We will seize the moment 
when he comes out of his study in the early 
part of the evening. His well-known voice, 
saying, " Come all about me! — Come all about 
me!" brings the whole group of his children, 
with a joyous shout and a rush, to obtain the 
first kiss, or the best seat upon his knee. Look 
now ! There is one clinging around his neck ; 
one hanging from each shoulder; one around 
his waist ; one seated on each foot, and an in- 
fant in his arms! Seven in all, and not a 
child — with his merry shout and noisy glee — 
seems happier than the father, whose face 
fairly glows with delight. The play over, 
each kneels at the mother's knee, and repeats 
its evening prayers, and then the father carries 
them to bed, and, perhaps, playfully throws 
them in. 



124 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

Suppose we take a glance at the home of 
Mr. Clarke under other circumstances. We 
find him seated in a chair, with one child on 
his knee, encircled in an arm, — another in the 
cradle, which he is rocking to repose with his 
foot, — a book in one hand, which he is atten- 
tively reading, and a potato in the other, of 
which, to save time, he is making a meal. 
Here is parental affection, economy of time, 
and moderation in diet, very beautifully ex- 
hibited in combination. 

We have seen that, in Dublin and Manchester, 
Mr. Clarke's desire to make others happy, 
extended his exertions beyond his own family 
circle, in the formation of the Stranger's Friend 
Society. In London, in connection with seve 
ral benevolent members of the Society of 
Friends, he formed an association for the dis- 
tribution of soup to the suffering poor, in a 
time of great scarcity of food. At one time, 
so many were daily distressed by hunger, and 
so frequent were their calls at his door that he 
taught his children to lay by each a small part 
of his accustomed portion of food, and at night 
they were made to witness the happiness these 
little savings caused the hungry upon whom 
they were bestowed. Thus they were at once 
taught to feel for the distressed, and the way 
in which they could relieve them ; the self-de- 
nial by which they purchased their satisfaction, 
making it doubly sweet. 

We should expect that one so affectionate in 



VISIT FROM MR. BUTTERWORTH. 125 

his own family would cherish the memory of 
his own parents with the most tender feeling. 
Such was the case. — About this period his 
father died. Ever after, while passing the 
cemetery in which he was buried, he removed 
his hat, observing at the same time, the most 
solemn silence, until he had passed the ground. 

Let not the young despise this seemingly 
unnecessary act. The feeling which prompted 
it lay deep in the heart. My father ! My mo- 
ther ! How much meaning in those words to a 
person whose heart and mind are properly cul- 
tivated ! 

While Mr. Clarke was labouring on the Lon- 
don circuit, with his usual zeal and faith, God 
gave him there also some seals to his ministry. 
The following is an instance. 

A Mr. Butterworth, (son of the Rev. John 
Butterworth, author of "A Concordance to the 
Holy Scriptures,") had married Mrs. Clarke's 
younger sister. But to the time of Mr. Clarke's 
removal to London, Mrs. Clarke had not seen 
her sister since her own marriage, — so slight 
had been the intercourse between the families, in 
consequence of the mother's displeasure at the 
marriage of Mrs. Clarke. But Mr. Butter- 
worth's good sense now interposed between the 
mother's authority and his wife, and he pro- 
posed a visit to Mr. Clarke's family with her. 
This was carried into effect. A mutual plea- 
sure in the acquaintance succeeded, and Mr. 
Butterworth and his wife, who had never yet 
11* 



126 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

professed saving faith in Christ, went to hear 
Mr. Clarke preach one Sabbath morning at 
the "City Road Chapel." The following week 
they called on Mr. Clarke, and in the evening 
Mr. Butterworth walked with him to a preach- 
ing appointment, while his wife remained with 
Mrs. Clarke. When returning, Mr. Butter- 
worth acknowledged that his mind had been 
awakened under the Sabbath morning sermon 
and inquired what he should do to be saved. 
Mr. Clarke engaged in conversation on this in- 
teresting topic, pointing him to the cross of 
Christ. When these visiters had returned 
home, Mr. Clarke began to relate to his wife 
the state of mind of Mr. Butterworth, and was 
agreeably surprised to learn that Mrs. Clarke 
had spent the evening in pointing her sister to 
the Lamb of God, she having been awakened 
under the same sermon. This intelligent and 
excellent couple soon found " peace in believ- 
ing," became members of the society of which 
Mr. Clarke was pastor, and were distinguished 
through life for "letting their light shine," in 
their holy walk. Mr. Butterworth not only gave 
his heart professedly to God, but evinced the 
genuineness of that profession by devoting his 
fortune to the cause of Christ. He became 
a distinguished patron of the "British and 
Foreign Bible Society," and kindred holy en- 
terprises. 

After three years' labour in London, Mr. 
Clarke removed to Bristol circuit again, in 



HIS FIRST LITERARY LABOURS. 127 

1798. About this period he began to be 
known as an author, by the publication of the 
works which we shall notice in passing. He 
had at various times sent to the press a ser- 
mon, or an article for the Wesleyan Magazine, 
but now his writings began to assume an im- 
portant character. A pamphlet on the " Use 
and Abuse of Tobacco," attracted considerable 
attention, and ran through several editions. 
He remarked to a friend once, in connection 
with this work, that both his parents used 
tobacco, and he believed his father shortened 
his days by it. When his mother came to 
spend the evening of life with him, she con- 
tinued to take snuff. He expostulated with 
her respecting this bad habit, but kindly and 
cautiously, lest he should wound her feelings 
without convincing her judgment. But his 
appeals in reference to health and religion, 
caused her to make the effort. After a short 
struggle she succeeded, and lived five years 
afterward, "preaching gloriously against it." 

Mr. Clarke removed to the Bristol Circuit in 
1798, and his first literary labour there was to 
translate and publish " Sturm's Reflections." 
He thus expresses his feelings on its completion : 
"I have finished the last proof of Sturm this 
day. I bless God, I am safely through it at 
last, after having spent much time and lost 
much, much health in the work. But it will 
live when T am dead ; and do good when only 
the title-page shall remember me more." 



128 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

A little later, he edited and published "A 
Bibliographical Dictionary," or an account of 
the most curious books in the ancient languages, 
published in eight volumes. Then followed 
"A Succinct Account of Polyglot Bibles," a 
small work, extracted from the preceding ; and 
soon after "A Succinct Account of the Prin- 
cipal Editions of the Greek Testament." 

In 1801, soon after these publications, Mr. 
Clarke removed to Liverpool. He was now 
about forty years of age. We are not sur- 
prised, in view of his unremitted labour, to 
hear him thus speak. " I was once a young 
man without and within : but the outward 
young man is gone, though the inward still 
continues. I have only to say, that if my 
natural force be abated, my eye grown dim, and 
my hair grey, — long — long before the ordinary 
time of life, Satan cannot boast that these pre- 
ternatural failures have taken place in his ser- 
vice, or were ever, either directly or indirectly, 
occasioned by it." 

Mr. Clarke often formed an acquaintance 
with men of distinguished learning and talents, 
w r ho were not religious. In his interviews with 
them, he did not forget his obligations to them 
as a Christian minister, but endeavoured wisely 
and faithfully to win them to Christ. A 
curious circumstance gave him an introduction 
to Mr. Charles Fox, a distinguished oriental 
scholar ; and a friendship was soon formed 
which produced important results. Mr. Clarke 



CONVERSION OF A DISTINGUISHED MAN. 129 

had received from a friend a curious stone 
brought from the East, containing an inscrip- 
tion in the Persic language. As he was not 
acquainted with Persic, he sought an introduc- 
tion to Mr. Fox, carried the stone, and began 
by his assistance to study Persic. Mr. Fox 
was in heart an infidel. Mr. Clarke, in their 
familiar intercourse, sought frequent occasions 
to convince his judgment and win his heart, in 
favour of the Christian religion, but without 
effect. In this state of feeling Mr. Clarke re- 
moved to the metropolis and Mr. Fox to Bath. 

Mr. Clarke wrote him an affectionate Chris- 
tian epistle. Its spirit, and its frankness, accom- 
panied by the Holy Spirit, touched his friend's 
heart. He yielded to conviction, sought and 
obtained the forgiveness of his sins, and con- 
tinued, till death, (which occurred not long 
after,) a consistent Christian. 

While in Liverpool the same active spirit for 
the promotion of learning animated him as in 
other places. Soon after his arrival in the city, 
he projected and formed a " Philological So- 
ciety." But he nearly sacrificed his life to his 
intense exertions. He became subject to sud- 
den attacks of illness. 

Mrs. Clarke gives the following as the cause 
of one of these attacks. Such an amount of 
labour was doubtless well meant ; but let none 
say that God requires such an expenditure of 
health, and exposure of life. 

"All this has, I believe, been brought on by 



130 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

too much labour. Last evening, to save Mr. 
Anderson from coming to Leeds street, through 
a deluging rain, Mr. Clarke preached for him, 
and met the bands. Saturday evening he 
preached at the Mount. On Sabbath, at half- 
past ten, he preached. Then met two classes 
for tickets, and came home to dinner; preached 
again at three o'clock; met two more classes, 
and met another, after Mr. Allen had preached 
in the evening. Monday he was visiting the 
sick nearly all the forenoon, and preached in 
the evening, at six o'clock, at Pitt street, to 
about fifteen hundred people. Tuesday even- 
ing he preached again, and met another class." 
Then followed the terrible night which had 
nearly ended his labours and his life together. 

After a partial recovery, Mr. Clarke con- 
sulted several eminent physicians, who pre- 
scribed rest, especially from all mental labour, 
and pronounced his life in imminent danger. 

We have introduced the above account of 
this sickness for two reasons. First, to warn 
the young, especially those beginning, or pre- 
paring for a professional life, against a reck- 
less zeal either in the pursuit of knowledge or 
immediate usefulness. There is certainly a 
golden mean between a diligent improvement 
of time, and a disregard of the laws of our na- 
ture. 

The second reason for its introduction, is to 
take the reader by the hand, and lead him to 
the sick chamber of Mr. Clarke. We have 



A VISIT TO HIS SICK-ROOM. 131 

walked with him to the house of God, — we 
have heard him offer " the rivers of God's 
pleasures" to others, — will they sustain him in 
view of death ? We have seen him happy in 
his study, seeking knowledge by which to illus- 
trate the word of God. Will he be equally so, 
if God speaks to him from eternity ? We have 
watched his joyful emotions, while gathering 
about him his much loved children, or folding 
his babes in his arms. Will his heart not 
faint if God intimates that he must leave 
them? We shall see. 

Let us draw near to his bed of suffering. We 
may hear him say, " I feel myself on the brink of 
eternity. I know God cannot err ; and my heart 
says, ' I have waited for thy salvation, Lord !' 
and, ' All the days of my appointed time will I 
wait till my change come.' God is merciful, and 
I ask no other refuge. Jesus died, and is alive 
again; and because he liveth I shall live also." 
After a short pause, we hear him again say, in 
a subdued but pleasing tone, " I have from 
the beginning laboured in the work, and la- 
boured to improve myself for the work. I 
have neither been an idler nor a busy-body; 
and now, standing on the verge of another 
world, what have I to boast of, or trust in ? I 
exult in nothing but in the eternal, impartial, 
and indescribable kindness of the ever-blessed 
God; and I trust in nothing but in the infi- 
nite merits of the sacrifice of Christ, a ruined 
world's Saviour, and the Almighty's fellow. 



132 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

Then what have I to dread ? Nothing. What 
have I to expect? All possible good; — as 
much as Christ has purchased, that is, as much 
as heaven can dispose. 'The Lord is my Shep- 
herd, therefore I shall not want.' My soul, 
looking through every crevice in her ruinous 
habitation, sees every thing to hope, and no- 
thing to fear. Yes, ' The work of righteous- 
ness is peace, and the effect of righteousness, 
quietness, and assurance for ever.' Looking 
unto Jesus, I wait the will of the Lord, which 
will is, invariably, goodness." 

Thus steadfast was the good hope of this 
servant of God, who, twenty years before, was 
invited by his light-hearted companions to go to 
Burnside for the "sport" of hearing a Method- 
ist preacher. Perhaps the decisive course he 
then pursued, was the first step in the ways of 
wisdom. 

Scarcely has he recovered from this sick- 
ness, when we find him visiting every day, ex- 
cept Sunday, a friend, ill of a nervous fever. 
He waited on him as a nurse, administered re- 
ligious consolation, and, when he was partially 
recovered, presented him with a valuable folio 
edition of the Scriptures, saying, " There, I 
will load you with the word of God; it has 
cost me many a meal, but I would rather live 
with Christ's poor and despised ones, and be 
banded with them and their religion, than live 
in all the splendour of the rich." 




M 



HIS CHRISTIAN FIDELITY. 133 



CHAPTER XII. 

UNSOUGHT HONOURS. 

A vein of pleasantry — A delinquent class-member reproved — 
The man who was " Rich and a Bachelor" — The erring stew- 
ard — A valuable cheese — Mr. Clarke outgeneralled — Literary 
labours — Honour from "The Philological Society"— The 
death of little Agnes, Mr. Clarke's daughter — His removal 
to London, 1805 — His financial accounts kept by Mrs. Clarke 
— Multiplied engagements — Made President of the Confer- 
ence — A committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society 
— Labours for the Bible Society — Corresponds with Robert 
Morrison — Literary honours from King's College, Aberdeen 
— Other literary distinctions — His feelings in reference to 
these honours — Additional publications — Engages in the 
" R,ecord Commission" — The use to be made of honours 
from men. 

The following item is here introduced as a 
specimen of Mr. Clarke's Christian fidelity. It 
will be recollected by the reader, that we have 
said something about " The classes," so often 
alluded to. The minister having charge of a 
circuit examined the list of members of so- 
ciety quarterly, and those who had attended 
these weekly religious gatherings during the 
quarter, or were necessarily prevented, re- 
ceived a ticket, admitting them to the religious 
festival of the " Love-feast." as it was called, 
and being to them a certificate of continued 
membership. The custom is, (for it is now as it 
12 



134 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

was in Mr. Clarke's day,) for the member re- 
ceiving the ticket to pay the remainder, if any, 
of the sum he had previously agreed to pay to- 
wards the maintenance of the ministry. At 
one time Mr. Clarke, with a class-leader, was 
examining the leader's record of the attend- 
ance of his class, and receiving the payment. 
The leader laid down a piece of gold coin, to 
be put to a brother's credit. Mr. Clarke run 
his eye across the line against his name, and 
found " absent" marked uniformly against it. 
"Take the money back," said he to the leader. 
" The brother's soul is in danger. He never 
meets. Return him the money, and request 
him to call upon me." He looked upon the 
money as a bribe to preserve his name upon 
the class-paper. In this way, he would soon 
become an honorary member, purchasing that 
standing with money which others obtained by 
attendance upon those means of grace. Mr. 
Clarke's conscience would not allow him to re- 
ceive such money, though for his own support, 
and from the rich. 

His reputation became thus established for un- 
yielding integrity, and his decision was sought in 
cases of misunderstanding between members of 
the church, to such an extent, as to be a serious 
tax upon his time. But he seldom refused to 
listen to the complaints, and decide the question 
between the parties ; and his decision generally 
closed the dispute. Once one came to him, com- 
plaining that a member of Mr. Clarke's congre- 



THE ERRING STEWARD. 135 

gation owed him a large amount for day-labour, 
and that the delinquent was a miser and a 
bachelor, but would not pay. " A miser, and 
a bachelor" replied Mr. Clarke, dryly; "two 
abominable things. But call at such a time 
on me, and you shall have your money." The 
man was curious to know how Mr. Clarke 
could give him that assurance; but he called 
at the stated time, and received all his due. 
Mr. Clarke obtained it simply by his moral in- 
fluence over the miser. 

If the readers are not weary of these inci- 
dents, and if they see in them, as we think 
they may, illustrations of character, they will 
be pleased with two more, before we proceed 
with the thread of our narrative. 

A steward of one of Mr. Clarke's charges, 
in Manchester, was partner in a business firm. 
One of their creditors became involved in debt, 
beyond his means of paying. In this condi- 
tion, the partner of the steward obtained from 
the creditor a bill of sale of all his property, 
thus leaving all the rest of his creditors wholly 
unpaid. This came to Mr. Clarke's ears. 
When the stewards met, the erring steward 
was in his place. Mr. Clarke, having con- 
sulted his brethren, said to him, "Brother, has 
your partner done so and so?" relating the 
above circumstance. 

"Yes, sir," was the reply. 

"Do you approve of it?" 

"I see no reason to disapprove of it." 



136 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

" Then, sir, your brethren see good reason 
why you should not be steward in the church 
of God." 

The man instantly resigned, and retired, 
feeling, of course, sharply reproved; but he 
could not complain of the Christian fairness 
with which it was done. He thought of it 
over-night, and, in his reflections, the feelings 
of the Christian overcame those of the man 
of business. He came the next day to Mr. 
Clarke, confessed that his course had been 
wrong, and stated that if his partner did not 
relinquish the claim the bill gave them, and 
permit the other creditors to come in for equal 
shares, he would give up his part of the debt. 
His promise and recantation were received ; he 
was restored to his office, and the cause of re- 
ligion saved from reproach. 

The other story is quite different, but equally 
showing the man. A large cheese was sent to 
Mr. Clarke as a present, with an intimation 
that the centre would prove the most interest- 
ing. The cheese proved to be good, but the 
centre valuable, for it contained a bank bill, of 
about four hundred and fifty dollars value. But 
for some reason, Mr. Clarke seemed to enter- 
tain the conviction that the reception of the 
money would compromise his ministerial inde- 
pendence ; so he returned it to the donor in as 
delicate a manner as possible, saying that his 
family pronounced the cheese excellent, but he 
must beg to return the bill, as he was resolved 



HIS INDUSTRY. 137 

not to accept pecuniary gifts. The donor re- 
ceived it, after a little hesitation, purchased 
with it a share in a trading vessel, in Mrs. 
Clarke s name, which for many years yielded 
her a considerable income. 

But we must turn to more weighty matters. 
Scarcely had Mr. Clarke become settled, when he 
invited into his study several young men, who 
were striving, in indigent circumstances, to per- 
fect themselves for the ministry. Between five 
and seven o'clock in the morning, he gave 
them such assistance in acquiring a knowledge 
of Hebrew, as enabled them to master its 
greatest difficulties. Thus did he permit no op- 
portunity to do good to pass unimproved. 

He published, while in Manchester, " The 
Manners and Customs of the Ancient Israel- 
ites." 

By the request of its editor, he became a 
principal contributor to the "Eclectic Review," 
then just established. Several works of minor 
importance, from his pen, were given to the 
public at this time. The Philological Society 
of Manchester, of which he had been president, 
manifested their esteem for him in a manner 
best described by himself in the following letter 
to an absent son : — " You remember, my dear 
lad, my motto is, i Be diligent, lose no time.' 
If I did not act thus, I never should be able to 
profit myself or others. During my late ab- 
sence from home, the Philological Society held 
a meeting, not only without my consent, but 



138 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

without my knowledge ; and what do you think 
is the result ? Why, they have got two large 
silver cups made, each holding a pint, and beau- 
tifully ornamented with a border of oak leaves 
round the brim ; and they have, in a very 
formal manner, presented them to me by two 
of the vice-presidents. They are each finely 
engraved with complimentary inscriptions." 

While these tokens of respect were encour- 
aging Mr. Clarke amidst his labours, he was 
called to pass through a very severe domestic 
affliction, in the death of his youngest daughter. 
The circumstances of her death are so touching, 
and they exhibit so clearly the advantages of 
religious instruction in childhood, that they 
will be interesting, we are sure, to all our 
youthful readers, and suggestive of profitable 
reflections to the minds of those more mature, 
— especially to Sunday-school teachers and pa- 
rents. We extract the account partly from Mr. 
Clarke's biography, and partly from that of his 
wife, both written, we think, by the pen of the 
same affectionate daughter and sister: — " Being 
seized with the whooping cough, she had not 
strength of constitution sufficient to contend 
with the disorder ; it fell upon her lungs, and 
bowed her down to the grave. During her 
sickness, her parents were chiefly her nurses. 
After writing for some time, her father would 
go into the room, carry her about until he was 
nearly exhausted, and then return to his la- 
bours. The child was remarkably attached to 



DEATH OF LITTLE AGNES. 139 

her parents, and though she often expressed 
her fears that carrying her so much would 
hurt her father, and nursing her so long would 
tire her mother, yet the relief both minis- 
tered to her in her weakness and pain, and 
the beaming of pleasure which displayed itself 
in the additional lustre of her eye on these oc- 
casions, were eloquent witnesses against the 
arguments her tongue framed into words. 

"Lovely in her person, she was also pecu- 
liarly precocious in mind ; she had acquired the 
art of reading without any trouble, and pos- 
sessed a very retentive memory. Before she 
was four years of age, she had learned many 
portions of Holy Scripture, and could repeat 
numerous hymns. During her sickness, she 
delighted to say these to herself, as she was ly- 
ing in the lap of her father or mother. The 
study, the pulpit, and the afflicted child, pros- 
trated the remaining strength of Mr. Clarke, 
while the yearning love of the mother was 
manifested in every thing which could miti- 
gate the suffering and exhaustion of their 
afflicted child. When increased weakness pre- 
vented her from kneeling as usual, at her mo- 
ther's knee, to say her prayers, the distress of 
little Agnes was very great, and bursting into 
tears, she exclaimed : — ' Mother, I cannot 
pray!' 'Yes, my dear child, you can,' re- 
plied her mother. ' How ?' asked the sobbing 
child: 'I cannot kneel down!' 'Without 
kneeling, my dear Agnes, you can lie still and 



140 LIFE OF ADAM CLAKKE. 

think your prayers, saying them to yourself; 
for you know God can see your heart, and hear 
what you have not strength to say aloud, as 
you used to do. You often lie there, do you 
not, and think of your father and mother, and 
talk to them?' 'Yes, I do.' 'Well, then, 
my dear Agnes, you can do the same in refer- 
ence to God and your prayers ; think of Him 
as near you, which He is, and then your heart 
can pray to Him as well as if you knelt down.' 

" She was lifted into her little cot, which was 
beside her parents' bed, and, closing her eyes 
and clasping her hands, she remained in this 
attitude a few minutes ; then opening her 
eyes again, she exclaimed with joyful emotion : 
' Oh, yes, dear mother, I feel that I can pray,' 
and she ever afterward continued this silent 
posture of prayer. In the meekness of pa 
tience, calmness, and peace, this dear child 
yielded up her spirit on the very day she had 
completed her fifth year." 

We are now entering upon one of the most 
important periods of Mr. Clarke's history. In 
1805, he was once more appointed to labour in 
London. Here he found ample scope for the 
exercise of the ability, experience, and ardent 
piety of which he was possessed. 

The London circuit, at this time, though not 
larger in territory than when he laboured in it 
before, included more chapels. From its cen- 
tre, it extended twelve miles, each way, of 
course, being twenty-four in its whole breadth. 



MUCH ASSISTED BY HIS WIFE. 141 

Mr. Clarke being appointed the superintendent, 
resided near the " City Road Chapel," one of 
the most prominent chapels in the Wesleyan 
connection. The iron fence which ornaments its 
premises so neatly, was put up at Mr. Clarke's 
suggestion, and out of respect to his wishes. 
From this centre, Mr. Clarke walked to every 
part of the circuit, returning every night to his 
family, both to be with them, and to save the 
early morning for himself. Public duties now, 
more than ever, accumulated upon his hands, 
and would have confused and prostrated a less 
systematic and vigorous mind. 

To relieve him of a part of his burden, 
Mrs. Clarke kept all the financial accounts 
of this extended circuit, with the most rigid 
exactness, methodizing every varied item in 
the simplest manner, while, by seeing visit- 
ors and every stranger, who would otherwise 
have necessarily taken up Mr. Clarke's time, 
she saved him from those frequent interruptions 
which are equally absorbing of valuable time, 
and unfriendly to habits of study. When from 
home, Mrs. Clarke also reported to her husband 
the contents of letters received during his ab- 
sence, and acknowledged herself such as needed 
no special reply. Notwithstanding this valua- 
ble' assistance rendered by his wife, and in spite 
of his early rising and scrupulous employment 
of every moment, he was almost entirely absent 
from his study. Mr. Clarke had now become 
so prominent a member of the religious body 



142 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

with which he was connected, and so much 
known to the religious and literary portion of the 
community generally, that he was finding the 
price, in a measure, of his fame, in the excessive 
labour he was expected to perform. At the 
conference of 1806, he was elected its president, 
the highest office in the gift of the Wesleyan 
connection, being an office conferring great 
honour and responsibility, and involving ardu- 
ous services. Besides the duties of presiding 
officer at the conference session, its term of ser- 
vice extended through the succeeding year, and 
required the duty of a general superintendence 
of the whole Wesleyan body. By the presi- 
sident, the candidates for full connection in the 
travelling ministry were examined in doctrine, 
Christian experience, and call to the ministry, 
before the conference and the public congrega- 
tion, and by him received a solemn pastoral 
charge before being invested with the full au- 
thority of ministers in that church. 

The rules of the conference require, that a 
person, after having been president one year, 
(the term of the office,) shall not be re-elected 
under eight years. Mr. Clarke, in subsequent 
years, was elected a third time to this office, — 
an honour then without a precedent. 

The British and Foreign Bible Society was, in 
form, organized at the "London Tavern," 2d of 
May, 1804, and about three months after its 
first anniversary, in 1805, we find Adam Clarke 
an efficient member of its committees. On his 



CORRESPONDS WITH MR. MORRISON. 143 

first connection with the society, he had charge 
of the foreign correspondence, but as the 
labours of that department increased, he was 
relieved by a learned German scholar, and con- 
fined his principal services to the oriental de- 
partment. Mr. Clarke having remained in 
London as long as the ordinary rules of the 
Wesleyan Convention allowed, he was about to 
remove. On learning this, the Committee of 
the Bible Society addressed to the Conference 
a note, requesting that he might be permitted 
to remain in London and assist the Society. 
By a special act of the Conference the request 
was granted. 

Few men are more generally and more 
favourably known to the religious world than 
Robert Morrison, the missionary to China of 
the London Missionary Society. Having been 
acquainted with Mr. Clarke before he left Eng- 
land, a correspondence was maintained between 
them for many years. After Mr. Clarke's 
connection with the Bible Society commenced, 
this intimacy was of great value in prosecuting 
his part of its duties. 

While Mr. Clarke was thus labouring, in co- 
operation with the learned and distinguished, — a 
self-educated, untitled, itinerant minister, — he 
was surprised by the gift, by King's College, 
Aberdeen, of the degree of Master of Arts. 
This was conferred in the early part of the year 
1807, and the next spring the same university 
followed it by the highest literary distinction in 



144 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

its gift, that of LL.D. Though these titles 
are not very weighty in themselves, at least, 
in our country, yet it was an unusual circum- 
stance at this period, for a person in Mr. 
Clarke's sphere to be thus honoured. He was, 
at different times, made a member of the most 
distinguished literary and scientific societies of 
his own country, and of two in America. 
Though we must henceforth know him as Doc- 
tor Clarke, yet we shall find him the same 
simple, earnest Christian man, as before. At 
one time, in social intercourse he remarked, 
" With some of the most eminent of the literati 
I have an intimate acquaintance, and meet 
them frequently. My connection with review- 
ers, eminent booksellers, and the members of 
the Bristol and Foreign Bible Society, gives 
me an opportunity of gaining acquaintances, 
and hearing discussions of the most import- 
ant and instructive kind. Learning I love — 
learned men I prize — with the company of the 
great and good I am often delighted ; but in- 
finitely above all these and all other possible 
enjoyments, I glory in Christ — in me living 
and reigning, and fitting me for heaven !" 

In the latter part of the year 1807, while 
the full labours of a preacher, and an impor- 
tant part of the duties of a committee of the 
Bible Society, were still occupying the large 
portion of his time, he found opportunity to 
send to the press a work, entitled, " Concise 
Views of the Succession of Sacred Literature." 



ENGAGES IN THE RECORD COMMISSION. 145 

He purposed to add another volume, in the 
course of his literary pursuits ; but this proved 
an exception, — a single exception, — so far as we 
recollect, to his enterprises of this kind. He 
did not finish it. But, as if Providence would 
in this even favour him, his eldest son, in after 
vears, completed it. 

But we have another record to make, of ad- 
ditional honour, and accompanied, as usual, with 
accumulated toil. In February, 1808, Dr. 
Clarke was recommended by the Speaker of 
the House of Commons as " a fit person to un- 
dertake the department of collecting and ar- 
ranging those State papers, which might serve 
to complete and continue that collection of 
state papers, generally called Rymer's Fse- 
dera," begun nearly a hundred years before. 
The secretary of the commission, in addressing 
Dr. Clarke to engage his services, remarked 
that the work " required the habits of a Chris- 
tian, a scholar, and a gentleman," and that 
" His Majesty's Commission had no doubt of 
his qualifications." With great caution, con- 
sulting his brethren in the ministry, and study- 
ing the indications of Divine Providence, he 
commenced this work, abating at the same 
time no pulpit nor Bible Society labour. 



146 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE COMPLETION OF THE COMMENTARY, AND CLOSE 
OF LABOUR FOR THE RECORD COMMISSION. 

The Arabic Bible and Tartar New Testament published — A 
complimentary expression from the Bible Committee — La- 
bours in the Record Commission — His opinion of Hume's 
history — A curious item of English history — Dr. Clarke's 
opinion of the Papal Church — A dignified official — TJnen- 
riched by his services for the Government. — The Commen- 
tary — All his studies made to bear upon that enterprise — its 
publication undertaken by Mr. Butterworth — The manner in 
which it was written — The deep solicitude which it cost — 
His feelings at its completion — A touching tribute of respect 
from his children — An incident, having a relation to the 
commentary — Objectors to the work answered kindly. 

Soon after the connection of Dr. Clarke 
with the Bible Society Committee, the subject 
of a new edition of the Arabic Bible came be- 
fore them, and was warmly advocated by him; 
and, finally, upon him devolved much of the 
labour of accomplishing the enterprise. Then 
came the project of a " Tartar New Testa- 
ment." Of this Dr. Owen, in his History of 
the Society, says : " To obtain this Tartar 
New Testament became a subject of deep and 
lively interest; the preparation of types was 
diligently followed up by the Rev. Adam Clarke, 
to whose learned and judicious superintendence 



EXPRESSION OF THE BIBLE COMMITTEE. 147 

this concern has been implicitly confided. A 
scale of types, constructed by himself, and exe- 
cuted with singular beauty, was submitted to the 
consideration of the committee, and a font was 
cast agreeable to the model recommended by 
Dr. Clarke, and sanctioned by the approbation 
of the president, (Lord Teignmouth, late gover- 
nor of India,) and other competent judges of 
Oriental literature."* 

We learn from another source, that so 
pleased were the committee with this scale of 
types, that it was ordered to be mounted and 
varnished, and preserved among the society's 
curiosities and treasures. 

The laborious services of Dr. Clarke for the 
society, — requiring much time, as well as ta- 
lents and toil, convinced its executive committee 
that he ought to have some pecuniary compen- 
sation. They, therefore, voted him about four 
hundred and fifty dollars, which was delicately 
tendered in a complimentary note. The money, 
however, was returned to the treasury, with a 
positive refusal of any remuneration. " To 
have done to the cause of God the smallest 
service," he said, " was a sufficient reward." 

To discharge his duties belonging to the 
public records, he visited the British Museum, 
the universities, and the public, and many of 
the private libraries of England, Scotland, and 



* Owen's Hist, of Brit, and For. Bible Society, Vol. 
198, English ed. 



148 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

Ireland. Records were examined, and ar- 
ranged, from the Norman invasion, A. D. 1066, 
to the accession of George III., 1760. Many 
of the assistants whom he employed proved in- 
competent, and some of those who were effi- 
cient left him through disgust at the vexations 
arising from the barbarous Latin, in which 
many of the manuscripts were written, and 
the mutilated and decayed state of others. 
But at this drudgery did Dr. Clarke toil ten 
long years, devoting to it, at some periods, 
successive days and weeks, and often his hours 
from five o'clock till ten in the morning. The 
result was four ponderous volumes, which were 
highly satisfactory to his distinguished em- 
ployers. 

The acquaintance thus formed with the 
sources of the history of the English nation, 
suggested the idea to him of writing a history 
of England, but his many engagements pre- 
vented it. He once remarked, that Hume, in 
the compilation of his history, was careless in 
the statement of facts. Mrs. Clarke was one 
evening reading to him from a volume of that 
author, when he observed concerning one of 
the alleged facts, " I have this day had occa- 
sion to examine the documents in which the 
truth in that case is contained ; and it is as 
different from Hume's statements as if one 
should say sixty, and another sixty millions." 
He would often, in these evening conversa- 
tions with his family, bring out many interest- 



A CURIOUS ITEM OF ENGLISH HISTORY. 149 

ing and curious items, derived from these old, 
and nearly forgotten manuscripts. On no- 
ticing the " Caltonian Collection," in the Bri- 
tish Museum, he observed, that he met with 
one record, in which William the Conqueror, 
and several others, signed with a cross(f), in- 
stead of their names. William's brother be- 
ing the only one among the latter who signed 
his name, he was deemed learned, because he 
could write. Surely these old kings, who have 
filled so large a place in history, were less ele- 
vated in the true royalty of mind, than the 
children of our Sunday-schools ! 

It may naturally be supposed that duties so 
laborious as were involved in the commission, 
and requiring so great learning and talents, 
would, under the English government, enrich 
the commissioned; but he says, "I give up my 
salary with my work ; I looked for nothing, 
and came out of the office unenriched ; for I 
would in no case hold a sinecure." On resign- 
ing, in consequence of ill health and other 
hindrances, he was asked, by the commission- 
ers, delicately but very meaningly, if they 
could do any thing for him — if he had a son to 
whom they could be of service. " Yes," replied 
the Doctor, "if you have work for him to do; 
but no son of mine shall, with my consent, re- 
cieve a salary for which he does not labour." 
His eldest son was immediately put into the 
record office. 

During all these ten years of toil in the 
13* 



150 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

government service, the Commentary, the great 
work of his life, was on his hands. Of this we 
will now give a summary account, anticipating, 
in a part of it, for the sake of unity of subject, 
the time of our narrative. 

Amidst Dr. Clarke's numerous other engage- 
ments, in sickness and health, from the dawn- 
ings of his manhood, until he saw the last page 
in the hands of the printer, he ever kept in mind 
this enterprise. Into other literary engage- 
ments he entered, because they were connected 
with this. We shall see from his own account, 
that both health and spirits often failed for a 
time, but nothing but the entire and continued 
loss of health, or of life itself, could shake his 
purpose. Every study and labour of his life, 
except perhaps the " Record Committee," was 
made subservient to it. Having now arrived 
at a period when the manuscripts were about 
ready for the press, the expense of giving it to 
the world was beyond his means, and he seems, 
for some reason, to have hesitated to present 
the responsibility to any publishing house. At 
this juncture, his brother-in-law, Joseph But- 
terworth, offered to assume the whole responsi- 
bility. He issued circulars, and made the con- 
tracts, investing in the enterprise a large por- 
tion of his fortune. The first part of the 
work appeared in September, 1810. An edi- 
tion of eleven thpusand copies was immediately 
struck off, which did not supply the market. 
At different periods, for fifteen years, succes- 



FINISHING THE COMMENTARY. 151 

sive portions were sent to the press. His feel- 
ings, at the conclusion of this great under- 
taking, are best given in his own words, taken 
from his remarks at the close of Malachi, the 
part of the commentary last written. " In 
this arduous labour I have had no assistant, 
not even a single week's help from an amanu- 
ensis, no person to look for me common places, 
or to refer to an ancient author, to find out the 
place, or to transcribe a passage of Latin, 
or Greek, or any other language which my 
memory had generally recalled, or to verify a 
quotation ; the help excepted, which I received 
in the chronological department from my own 
nephew, Mr. John Edward Clarke ; I have 
laboured alone for nearly twenty-five years 
previously to the work being sent to the press, 
and fifteen years have been employed in bring- 
ing it through the press to the public ; and 
thus about forty years of my life have been 
consumed ; and from this the reader will at 
once perceive that the work, whether well or 
ill executed, has not been done in a careless or 
precipitate manner, nor have any means within 
my reach been neglected, to make it, in every 
respect, as far as possible, what the title page 
promises, U A Help to the better understanding 
of the Sacred Writings." Thus, through the 
merciful help of God, my labour in this field 
terminates, — a labour, which, if it were yet to 
commence, with the knowledge I now have of 
its difficulty, and, in many respects, my inade- 



152 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

quate means, millions even of the gold of Ophir, 
and all the honours that can come from man, 
could not induce me to undertake. Now it is 
finished, I regret not the labour." 

The members of his family bore witness to 
his solicitude and labour, before his task was 
done. Often, when perplexed with a passage 
of Scripture which he wished to interpret, had 
they knocked at his study door, and their 
knock been unheeded because not noticed, so 
absorbed was he in his mental exercise — enter- 
ing, they have found him on his knees, his pen 
and paper lying before him, wrestling with the 
"Father of Lights," to send the illuminating 
Spirit into his mind. On his knees was the last 
sentence of the commentary written, — and in 
that humble posture he continued, until he had, 
with a heart overflowing with deep emotion, rend- 
ered thanks to his Heavenly Father, that his life 
and health had been spared, and his sensible 
presence given, to bring the work to a close. 

Having thus first rendered thanks to God, 
he hastened to call his family to participate in 
his joy. Taking his youngest son into the 
study he said to him, " This, Joseph, is the 
happiest period I have enjoyed for years ; I 
have put the last hand to my commentary ; I 
have written the last word of the work ; I have 
put away the chains which would remind me 
of my bondage ; and there, I have returned 
the deep thanks of a grateful soul to God who 
has shown me so great and continued kindness ; 



A PRESENT FROM HIS CHILDREN. 153 

I shall now go into the parlour, tell my good 
news to the rest, and enjoy myself for the 
day." 

The gratitude and sympathy of his children 
at this auspicious event, was shown in a very 
touching manner. The parents were invited 
to the residence of the two oldest sons. The 
whole family were gathered around a well- 
spread table. The dinner being over, an ele- 
gant silver vase was brought, covered, and set 
at the head of the table. His eldest son then 
arose, and in the name of each and all the 
family, presented it to the honoured father. 
He was taken entirely by surprise, and for 
some moments his emotions were too intense 
for utterance. Rising slowly, and placing his 
hands upon this token of his children's love, 
he pronounced upon each of them, individually, 
his blessing. He then addressed them as a 
company, in strains of affectionate tenderness, 
in the name of their much loved mother and 
himself. 

The following incidents, having a relation to 
the account of the Commentary, illustrate some 
characteristics of Dr. Clarke. A friend, know- 
ing his reluctance to receive money as a gift, 
put into his hands twenty-five dollars, intima- 
ting that, as he could not himself honour God 
by writing an illustration of his Holy Word, he 
wished to have a part in such a work, though 
written by another, and therefore begged him 
to purchase with the money pens and paper 



154 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

for the manuscript of his commentary. The 
money was received. Many years afterward, 
when the work was coming from the press, the 
doctor sent his friend the comment on Matthew, 
reminding him of the circumstance, and adding: 
" The money has been applied precisely as you 
wished." 

As might be expected, the work occasioned 
numerous expressions of opinions with regard 
to its merit ; by some it was commended, by 
others condemned, not always in the kindest, 
nor most liberal spirit. These he seldom no- 
ticed. He was opposed, from his mental taste 
and religious principles, to controversy. On 
one occasion he remarked to a friend : — " Mr. 
H has been attacking me, finding an abun- 
dance of faults with my Commentary, not one of 
which he has proved ; but my maxim is, you 
know, always to answer such persons kindly, 
having reason to believe that by this method 
some have not only been softened, but made 
ashamed of themselves. I find it not only im- 
possible to please everybody, but that it is 
scarcely possible to please anybody. Woe to 
him who writes a Commentary, and consults his 
own judgment and conscience in the work ! All 
hail thou truth of Jehovah ! Be thou estab- 
lished forever !' 



AN IRKSOME OFFICE. 155 



CHAPTER XIY. 

LABOURS MORE ABUNDANT. 

Elected librarian of the Surrey Institute — Publishes " Harmer's 
Observations" — Other Publications — A great enterprise pro- 
jected — Anecdotes of Dr. Clarke's love for the Bible — Second 
time president of the conference — Anecdotes of Dr. Clarke 
and the tobacco users — Labours for the Wesleyan Missionary 
Society — Occasional Sermons — A reproof — Reminiscences — 
Dr. Clarke at fifty-five years of age. 

While in London, Dr. Clarke was induced 
to stand as a candidate for the office of libra- 
rian in the Surrey Institute, which was a public 
literary institute of some note. The office was, 
at the time, the subject of bitter, sectarian con- 
troversy, and the popularity of his name was 
used, to subdue party violence. He was elected, 
and occupied the position less than a year, and 
resigned it in disgust. He says of its duties : — 
" I have all the books in both libraries to provide ; 
I have to travel from shop to shop to examine 
books, — to compare the different prices of the 
same article, before I purchase ; I have lectures, 
and the plan of lectures, and even their matter 
to arrange; I have to construct the whole ma- 
chine, and give it its proper momentum and 
direction ; — to be incessant in labour, and to 
employ all my bibliographical and philosophical 



156 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

knowledge in those things ; and, as I have taken 
them in hand, I shall do them, if Grod spare my 
life." 

On leaving the office, he refused to receive a 
penny of the salary which belonged to it. We 
infer that the reason w r as, that party censure 
should not have even an unreasonable occasion 
to say that he had held the place for personal 
profit. His successor in the institution was the 
distinguished Rev. T. H. Home, author of "An 
Introduction to the Critical Study of the Holy 
Scriptures." 

While the Record Commission and Com- 
mentary were yet occupying his mind, Dr. 
Clarke prepared for the press an edition of 
" Harmer's Observations on various passages 
of Scripture," adding tables of contents and ob- 
servations of his own. 

As if his literary engagements were not 
enough, there were placed in his hands the pa- 
pers and letters of Archbishop Sharp, and of 
Granville Sharp, embracing many important 
matters relating to the state, to religion, and to 
literature — for him to arrange, select, condemn, 
or approve. This task was also undertaken 
and executed. 

Another labour performed was a draft of a 
library for the Bible Society, to be sent to In- 
dia for the use of the translators of the Scrip- 
tures in that country. 

Not far from the same period, an edition 
of Butterworth's Concordance, enlarged and 



HIS LOVE FOR THE BIBLE. 157 

improved, by his labours came from the 
press. 

Besides what he did publish, Dr. Clarke, with 
a learned friend, proposed to contribute their 
influence and assistance in securing the publica- 
tion of the London Polyglot, a very expensive 
and scarce work. To secure this object, he 
published a tract upon the subject as early as 
1810, and sent it to the learned men in Great 
Britain and on the continent. So zealous had 
he become in this undertaking, that it was not 
abandoned until many years afterwards. The 
work was one of immense cost of both money 
and time. The expense of the proposed edition 
was estimated at four hundred and forty-four 
thousand dollars, and it was calculated that 
seven years would be required to carry it 
through the press. 

Thus the Bible, directly or indirectly, was 
connected with all his efforts. We are not sur- 
prised, therefore, to learn that at all times and 
in all places, he showed a most profound rever- 
ence for this Holy Book. When he read it in 
his family devotions, it was always standing — 
"the more," as he said, "to reverence it." 

While preaching once in his usual style, he 
paused for a few moments, and, without the 
least air of ostentation, said — his eyes beaming 
meanwhile with benignant pleasure on an atten- 
tive auditory — "Some of you may have seen 
Adam Clarke before, — more of you have heard 
of him, and among other things, you may have 
14 



158 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

been told that he has studied hard, and read 
much ; but he has to tell you, that he never met 
with but one book in his life that he could 
hug to his heart, and it is this blessed Book of 
God (taking up the Bible at the time that had 
lain open before him, and placing it to his 
breast, with the endearing embrace of a mother 
clasping her child to her bosom.) The effect 
was electrical. A simultaneous burst of half- 
stifled applause was heard through the whole 
congregation — men, women and children weep- 
ing, while his own eyes were brimmed with 
tears." 

As he sat with a friend in his study at one 
time, the servant girl, in passing out, set the 
door open by placing against it a large Bible. 
Rising calmly, Dr. Clarke supplied its place 
with something more appropriate, saying, as he 
placed the Holy Book on the shelf: "Poor 
Betty is ignorant, and has no religion, or she 
would not treat God's Word so." 

At the conference of 1814, Dr. Clarke was 
again chosen president. This office imposed 
upon him great additional duties. Among these 
duties, as we have stated, was the task of exam- 
ining, before the conference and the public con- 
gregation, the candidates for full membership. 
Besides other matters, it is required, by the 
rules of the Wesley an body, that these candi- 
dates shall not indulge in the use of tobacco in 
any form. One of the young men now claim- 
ing admission, the doctor knew to be an immo- 



THE TOBACCO USER. 159 

derate smoker, and whom, as he highly respected 
him, he determined to rescue, if possible, from 
the pernicious habit. The young men being 
arranged before the president, he addressed 
them, in turn, on the subject, and coming to the 
young man in question, the following conversa- 
tion took place : — 

"Do you use tobacco in any form, brother?" 

"A little, sir." 

"You must give it up." 

"I use it for the sake of my health, sir." 

" Our rule is against it, and I cannot admit 
you unless you will give it up." 

"Well, sir, I will try to give it up." 

"An attempt will do nothing, unless perse- 
vered in." 

" I think it hard, sir, where health requires it." 

" Our rule knows no exception, and I would 
not, in the situation in which I am placed, 
admit my own father — no not an angel from 
heaven, without a pledge of total abandonment. 
You can take time to consider it ; do nothing 
rashly; if, after you have thought upon it a 
day or two, or another year, you think you can 
conscientiously give the pledge, you can then 
be received." 

The candidate began to feel that the affair 
was assuming a serious aspect. He must either 
be put back on trial, or abandon his place in 
the conference, or give the required pledge. 
After a little pause he answered, "Well, .sir, 
I feel inclined to relinquish it." 



160 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

"Do you solemnly promise it?" 

"I do, sir." 

"Express yourself clearly, brother. Am I 
to understand you to bind yourself to give it 
up now, only for a short period, and be at 
liberty to resume it ? There is no mental re- 
servation, is there ?" 

" I cannot say, sir, what circumstances of 
health, &c, might occur to call for it; but I 
intend it, at present." 

"On these terms, I will not receive you. 
You can make the experiment for twelve 
months ; and then, if you think you can sub- 
scribe to the requirement, you can come for- 
ward for full admission into the work." 

The candidate paused again, looked morti- 
fied, and then said resolutely, " Well, then, sir, 
I solemnly promise to give it up." 

"Forever?" 

" Yes, by the help of God, not to resume it." 

On another occasion, when holding the same 
responsible station, the doctor made much 
shorter work with a candidate. Addressing 
the young man, he asked, — 

"Do you take tobacco in any form, brother?" 

" I take a little snuff, sir." 

" Give it up?" 

" I will give it up, sir, if the conference re- 
quire me." 

" I am the conference, sir, while I am seated 
here, and I order you to give it up." 

The candidate here extended toward the 



REMINISCENCES. 161 

president, a small box about the size of the 
first joint of his thumb, saying, " That, sir, 
serves me some months." 

"Well," answered the doctor, "hand it this 
way ; it is so small it can be no great cross to 
give it up." 

Toward the close of the year 1814, the Mis- 
sionary Society of the Wesleyan Connection 
was formed. Previously to this period, Dr. 
Coke, an early co-adjutor of Wesley, had, in 
himself, been a virtual missionary society. He 
had projected missions, raised the supplies by 
his eloquent appeals to the members of the 
societies, directed the labours of the mission- 
arries, and gone with them to share their priva- 
tions. But it pleased the Great Head of the 
Church that his devoted servant should, while 
on his way to Ceylon, to form new missions, 
sleep in the depths of the ocean. As Coke 
was to the Wesleyan Missions what Wesley 
was to the connection generally, when he died 
the work he performed was assumed by the 
whole body. Dr. Clarke was present and 
preached a stirring sermon at the City Road 
Chapel, London, on the occasion of the forma- 
tion of the society, and was subsequently a 
prominent instrument in making it what it is 
now, the contributor of a half a million of 
dollars annually, for the extension of the gos- 
pel in heathen lands. He added to the labours 
already mentioned, frequent occasional ser- 
mons in different parts of the kingdom, in be- 



162 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

half of missions. We shall hear of him on 
such occasions, preaching to audiences which 
crowd to their utmost capacity the chapels, 
and obtaining unaccustomed collections by his 
eloquent appeals. From this period, calls to 
"open chapels," to deliver charity sermons, 
and to aid the collections of various financial 
projects connected with religion, drew more 
and more upon his time and strength. Some- 
times, advantage was taken of the large au- 
diences which his popularity drew together, to 
put forward, unexpectedly to the people, the 
claims of some benevolent enterprise. This 
considerably annoyed the doctor. 

On one occasion an admission fee was re- 
quired of his audience, for some charity. 
When about half way through his sermon, 
having made an occasion for speaking of the 
poor, he paused, looked toward the part of the 
house where they usually sat, and said, sharply, 
" I see you have contrived to keep the poor 
away. If you do not desist from the practice, 
Adam Clarke will enter your chapel no more." 

His missionary services and duties during 
the years he was president of the conference, 
occasioned frequent tours into various parts 
of England and Ireland. In visiting the latter 
country, he looked once more upon the scene 
of his early days. The companions of his 
youth were nearly all gone. 

Entering the burial-place adjacent to the old 
church, he remarked: " Here lie several of my 



REMINISCENCES. 163 

ancestors and I goto lie most probably in another 
land, and shall not, in all likelihood, be gather- 
ed to my fathers ; but I shall be found when all 
the quick and the dead shall stand before the 
Lord ; and wheresoever my dust shall be scatter- 
ed, the voice of the Lord shall call it together, 
and I shall stand in my lot, at the end of days. 
May I then be found of him in peace, without 
spot and without blame, and have an entrance 
into the holiest through the blood of Jesus." 

We have thus, in sketching the history of 
Dr. Clarke's abundant labours, noticed his con- 
nection with the Bible Society, " The Record 
Commission," the Commentary, occasional 
publications, and the special duties belonging 
to the presidency of the conference. It will 
be recollected that he filled his appointments 
during this period as a circuit preacher, minis- 
tering to large audiences every Sabbath, and 
frequently during week evenings. As inti- 
mated, we have anticipated in this chapter the 
close of the "Record" labours which extended 
to 1819 — and also the completion of the Com- 
mentary in 1826. We have now arrived at 
the year 1815 — at which time he was fifty-five 
years of age. 



164 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 



CHAPTER XV. 

RETIRED, BUT NOT RESTING. 

Resolves to leave London — Removes to Millbrook — Cultivates 
his land — Kindness to animals — A petted donkey — The 
painted cross — His evenings at Millbrook — A chapel for the 
poor — A Sunday-school — Causes of the attendance of the 
poor — Dr. Clarke's daughters become colporteurs — The poor 
sailors " warmed and clothed" — Dr. Clarke and his wife's 
shopping money — The coronation honoured — Two high- 
priests of Budhoo — The occasion of their voyage to Eng- 
land — Placed under the instruction of Dr. Clarke — Their 
instruction — Their surprise at seeing snow and ice — They 
are baptized, and admitted to the Christian Church — Their 
return to Ceylon — A letter from the son of the elder priest — 
Dr. Clarke a third time President of the Conference. 

Toward the close of the year 1815, Dr. 
Clarke decided to remove from London. Some 
parts of his Commentary were passing through 
the press, and the labour of completing the 
manuscript pressed upon him daily. In this 
great thoroughfare of business and travel, he 
was subject to constant interruptions. Be- 
sides, the friction of fifty-five years upon his 
physical frame, although it had not taken all 
his energy, had abated the vigour of earlier 
manhood. He says ; " I have made up my 
mind to leave this distracting place ; to get out 
of the way of even a turnpike road, that I may 
get as much out of every passing hour as I 



REMOVES TO MILLBROOK. 165 

can. I ought to have no work at present but 
the Commentary ; for none can comprehend the 
trouble, and often anguish, which the writing 
of the notes cost me; and what adds to the 
perplexity is, the multitude of little things to 
which, almost incessantly, my attention is de- 
manded; and to which, while remaining in 
town, I must attend." 

Having, therefore, resolved to leave the city, 
he purchased a small estate a few miles from 
Liverpool, to which he removed with his family 
on the 20th of September, 1815. The con- 
ference, recognising the importance of his en- 
gagements with the Record Commission and 
the Commentary, connected his name with the 
Manchester circuit, to which he was to go 
once a month, leaving the rest of the time at 
his own disposal. 

To his new residence he gave the name of Mill- 
brook. An important object to be secured now, 
was a healthy stimulus to his mind and body. 
To obtain this, he spent considerable time in la- 
bour upon his land. True to his characteristics, 
he began to apply his scientific knowledge to the 
improvement of its husbandry. Soon its ex- 
hausted soil began to yield an unusual crop. 
His domestic animals received his special atten- 
tion. With his own hand he fed them, and 
showed them that tender care which even a 
brute understands. To carry out this feeling, 
he purchased an ass, with the professed object 
of trying the power of kindness on his proverbi- 



166 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

ally perverse temper. He gave him the name 
of Baudet, and set apart an enclosure for his 
especial use, sufficiently large to satisfy his 
love of liberty. Here Baudet was fed, petted, 
and flattered into good humour with himself 
and the world in general. We are not sure 
that there was in this treatment much of a 
trial of his amiability. Most donkeys would 
be good-natured when having things their own 
way. The heavy burden and the long journey 
try the temper. But, however, the doctor's 
object was accomplished, in showing that even 
an ass will be moved by love, for Baudet 
manifested for him the docility and fondness of 
a spaniel. 

But let us step into the house, now that he 
is well settled in his new home. It is evening. 
The children are now young men and women, 
and some of them have left the parental roof 
to assume the responsibilities of life. Still 
there is a large family circle. As the doc- 
tor's time is so much at his command, he con- 
fines his studies mostly to the light of the day 
— rising early, as he has always done from 
childhood. The evenings are spent with his 
family. The scholar, who has passed the day 
in hard thinking, is now the free, light-hearted 
parent and husband. Mrs. Clarke, who, the 
doctor says, " is one of the best readers I 
ever heard, and can read aloud three hours to- 
gether," entertains the domestic circle with a 
book. Her husband, whose varied and almost 



A CHAPEL FOR THE POOR. 167 

exhaustless store of knowledge enables him to 
speak freely on the subject which is read, criti- 
cises the facts, or discusses the views of the 
author. He enters into this entertainment 
with freshness of feeling and readiness of ut- 
terance. His vivacity is contagious, and all 
are interested and instructed. The exercise is 
not a task, but a privilege to be enjoyed. 

Not unfrequently we shall find the doctor 
and his wife differently employed. He has 
brought the manuscript of his Commentary 
from his study, which he has written during 
the day. He is reading it to Mrs. Clarke, to 
whose judgment of its sentiments and mode 
of expression he pays great respect. 

The neighbourhood of Millbrook was mostly 
Roman Catholic, and was constituted generally 
of the poor. There was no Protestant preach- 
ing place within several miles. To supply this 
deficiency, Dr. Clarke built a chapel near his 
house, and at his own expense, sufficiently 
large to hold three hundred persons. The 
pulpit was supplied, with his assistance, by the 
preachers of the neighbouring circuit. The 
poor were invited to come freely. They had 
said, " If you had a chapel, we would all go 
your road." A Sunday-school of forty scho- 
lars was at once established. Into this the 
doctor went often, speaking kindly and fami- 
liarly to the children, and making suggestions 
concerning the regulations of the school. The 
Roman Catholic children were, at first, timid 



168 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

and distant. A few came to the school, and 
went away to their own chapel when the 
preaching commenced. Soon, (through the chil- 
dren in part,) the parents became interested, 
ventured to hear the word from Protestant 
lips, and remained to weep — to pray, and re- 
joice in salvation through Christ Jesus alone. 
But there were causes at work to draw them 
to evangelical preaching — Christian in their 
character, and, therefore, worthy to be main- 
tained and imitated. The following are illus- 
trations. The poor labourers of the vicinity 
had been required by their employer to com- 
mence work at an unusually early hour, and 
expressed their fear lest they should not awake 
early enough. 

"Leave that to me," said the doctor. "I am 
always up in season." 

" The next morning, precisely at four o'clock, 
the doctor was unexpectedly at the doors of 
the poor men in his neighbourhood, rousing 
them from their slumber — a practice he con- 
tinued for some time." 

His daughters, fully sympathizing with their 
father's benevolent feelings, went from house 
to house, scattering tracts, bearing his contri- 
butions of food and clothing for the destitute, 
praying with the sick, and inviting all to 
Christ. The consequence was, a chapel full of 
attentive hearers, and the conversion of many 
souls. 

We need not say, after the statement of the 



SAILORS "WARMED AND CLOTHED." 169 

above facts, that the children loved Dr. Clarke. 
The children of his vicinity having heard him 
say that he was very fond of an apple while 
the dew of the morning rested upon it — an ex- 
pression which may have meant more than they 
understood — rose early the next morning, and, 
selecting some apples from the trees moist 
with the dew, and, gently tapping upon his 
study window, presented the offering, and scam- 
pered off with glad hearts. 

During the winter following his removal to 
Millbrook, Dr. Clarke had a special occasion 
for the exercise of his benevolence. The cold 
was unusually severe. The seamen of Liver- 
pool were, in great numbers, thrown out of em- 
ployment, and made dependent upon charity 
for support. Dr. Clarke invited twenty of 
these poor fellows to Millbrook, and opened 
for them some untenanted cottages on his 
place. Not being able to supply them with 
beds, a plenty of clean straw was procured, 
and an abundance of blankets purchased, so 
that they were made entirely comfortable. At 
appointed times they assembled in his kitchen 
for their meals, one in turn remaining to cook 
for the rest. During the working hours they 
were employed on the farm in such work as 
they could conveniently do, it being a maxim 
with the doctor to encourage industry in all 
about him. Thus, for several weeks, were they 
supported, until the season enabled them to ob- 
tain employment. 

15 



170 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

But his exertions did not stop here. He 
used his extensive influence with the wealthy 
and honoured to provoke them to labours of 
love for the suffering. We will present two 
more brief illustrations of his benevolence, and 
pass on to other matters. 

His wife had entrusted him with a considera- 
ble sum of money, for divers small purchases, 
as he was leaving home for Manchester. While 
in the city, some of his countrymen assailed 
him with their tales of sufferings. He never 
went shielded against such attacks, and their 
complaints were too touching for him to resist. 
He emptied his purse into their hats, and re- 
turned without the desired articles. The doc- 
tor says: "I had to answer for it. 'Well, 
Mary, dear,' I said, ' I did not spend it for 
myself.' " 

In 1821, on the occasion of the coronation 
of George IV., as King of England, the doctor 
honoured the event by making the poor happy. 
The story is best told by himself, in a letter to 
his sons — 

" Dear Lads: — We have had a great feast 
on the occasion of the coronation. We brought 
all our tenants together, even to the least of 
their young children, and gave them a dinner. 
They ate a world of beef, pies, puddings, and 
cheese, besides half a bushel of currants and 
cherries. To all our people I also gave a holi- 
day, and paid each his day's wages ; and when 
all was over, I gave every child a penny; all 



TWO HIGH PRIESTS OF BUDHOO. 171 

above eight years old a sixpence, and to every 
grown person a shilling. We sang and prayed, 
and afterward, I dismissed them. They were 
as happy as they could be." 

In the year 1818, Dr. Clarke received into 
his family at Millbrook two high-priests of 
Budhoo, from the island of Ceylon. The his- 
tory of their connection with him, and subse- 
quent conversion and return to their native 
country, is given, in the sources of informa- 
tion before us, in detail, and is very interest- 
ing. We will give it as briefly as is consis- 
tent with a clear presentation of its prominent 
features. 

The English missionaries at Ceylon had 
translated the New Testament into the dialect 
of that island. These two priests, while offer- 
ing daily sacrifices to their idols, had read a 
copy of this translation. They became deeply 
interested, especially in the sufferings and 
death of Christ. The more they read, the 
more they wished to know; and they deter- 
mined to visit England, the source, they 
thought, of information of a religion so won- 
derful. The doctor, true to his principles of 
Christian benevolence, consented to take them 
into his family, and instruct them gratuitously; 
the Wesleyan Missionary Society agreeing to 
be at the expense of their support. They 
were cousins; the older (Munhi Rat'hana, Tee- 
runanxi,) twenty-seven years of age, and the 
younger (Dherma Rama,) about twenty-five. 



172 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

They had been in the priesthood more than six 
years. 

Their instruction required great patience and 
wisdom. Old prejudices had to be destroyed, 
and the foundation laid in their minds for the 
first principles of Christianity. They ques- 
tioned every step of this process. Early in 
the morning they were found in their instruc- 
tor's study, listening to his patient teaching. 
The story of the cross melted them to tears; 
but they were greatly astonished that Christ 
should have such amazing power to work mira- 
cles, and yet be an unresisting sufferer in the 
hands of his enemies. They had many doubts 
to be removed, and they were long in receiving 
the great doctrines of the cross ; for to them, 
most emphatically, " Great was the mystery of 
godliness." 

Their improvement in their English studies 
was very rapid. Dr. Clarke performed many 
experiments for them in natural philosophy 
and chemistry. They earnestly inquired for 
the facts, and when they saw them developed, 
and beautifully set forth in the experiments, 
their joy was expressed in the warmest man- 
ner. 

Having lived in a warm climate, as the winter 
approached, their curiosity was greatly excited 
by the novel appearance of nature. They 
had heard of "solid water," and frost and snow, 
but regarded the stories concerning them to be 
the fables of travellers. Their emotions, on be- 



SURPRISE AT SEEING SNOW AND ICE. 173 

ing introduced to the marvels of an English 
winter, are thus described by an eye-witness: — 
" It happened in the winter of this year that 
the first snow fell in the night, and in great 
abundance; their bed-room looked into the 
garden, and when they rose in the morning, 
and drew up the curtain as usual to look out, 
their surprise was uncontrollable, and amounted 
to a sensation of fear when they beheld the 
wide white world before them. In amazement, 
they ran into the study, and thence with Dr. 
Clarke into the garden, to see and handle this 
wonderful phenomenon; and when they felt it 
beneath their feet, and caught its rapidly dis- 
solving particles in their hands, their surprise 
yielded to their pleasure, and it was with diffi- 
culty they could be restrained from exposing 
their uninured bodies to the severities of an 
English winter's day. Not long after this the 
fish-pond was so completely and solidly frozen, 
that they were taken to behold, what they had 
so long wished to see, the "solid water;" but 
its smooth surface retained too much of its 
old appearance to quell their fears and satisfy 
their doubts. Dr. Clarke then got on it, and 
walked to the middle of it, but still they had 
so much faith in him that, though they thought 
lie might do thus much, they were not sure 
they could do so unhurt, until they were fur- 
ther assured by seeing other members of the 
family — females and all — follow his example. 
Dr. Clarke's nephew, having put on his skates, 
15* 



174 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

began to pass over the surface with a motion 
which seemed to them like flying; but perceiv- 
ing him to be every where in contact with the 
mass, their doubt then gave way to ecstacy, 
and they too walked on the " solid water," not 
only with delight but amusement. They would 
then have a piece of it, which, on account of 
its thickness, it was a matter of difficulty to 
obtain, and were not contented until they had, 
by the action of fire, themselves reduced it 
once more to its usual appearance. Thus were 
they taught and pleased, and certainly bene- 
fited by the varied instructions they received." 
After Dr. Clarke had carefully taught them 
for twenty-two months, and had faithfully in- 
quired respecting the grounds of their profes- 
sion of saving faith in Christ, they were bap- 
tized by him in Liverpool, admitted into the 
Christian Church and to the sacrament of the 
Lord's supper. Up to this time, Dherma had 
"been in bondage through the fear of death ;" 
but, on retiring from this solemn service, he ex- 
claimed, joyfully, " Oh, now I no fear to die. 
If I die I go straight to the kingdom of God." 
Munhi, on returning to his room, prostrated 
himself on the floor, and spent a long time in 
tears, and prayer, and praise. The former took 
the name of Alexander, for Sir Alexander 
Johnstone, his friend, in whose company they 
had come from India, and the latter that of his 
instructor, Adam. Soon after this interesting 
event, they returned, with many expressions of 



LETTER FROM INDIA. 175 

gratitude to Dr. Clarke, to their native country ; 
where, amidst the wickedness of heathenism, 
they ever remained true to their Christian pro- 
fession. They wrote several touching letters to 
their much-loved instructor, while on their way 
to Ceylon, and after they arrived there. A 
letter from a son of Munhi, written to a member 
of Dr. Clarke's family, fifteen years after the 
doctor's death, will give, as a closing item in 
this account, interesting proof of some of the 
later fruits of the conversion of these Budhists. 
It is dated Ceylon, March 20th, 1847. 

"My dear father told me you would be a 
friend to me if I wrote to you after his death. 
After labouring in his Saviour's service for many 
years, he expired on the 13th of November, 
1840, in a sure hope of a resurrection to eternal 
life. My dear father taught me to pray, like 
Dr. Clarke taught him to pray, who had put 
over his bed, while he was at Millbrook, in Sing- 
halese and English, 'Munhi, forget not to pray!' 
So I am praying to my great and good God, 
for myself and for you. I want English teach- 
ing. My father told me when he was dying, 

' Write to , and that lady will help you to 

English teaching.' I never saw Alexander 
Dherma Rhama, my father's companion, but I 
wrote to inform him of my father's death, and 
from his answer to my letter, I learn that he 
is the head man over the people of the village 
of Moratova, twenty-four miles from Galle. He 
is yet sure in the Christian faith. I have but 



176 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

one sister : her name is Elizabeth. I am fifteen ; 
and my ruling passion is to come to England, 
get English teaching, and see that blessed 
country." 

What a beautiful illustration is this whole ac- 
count of the Budhist priests of the power of the 
gospel over heathen minds ! 

In July, of the year 1822, Dr. Clarke was for 
the third time elected president of the Wesleyan 
Conference, an honour, as we have said, never 
before bestowed so often upon any one indi- 
vidual. 




REMOVES TO EASTCOTT. 177 



CHAPTER XVI. 

THE PALACE OF THE GREAT, AND THE COTTAGE 
OF THE POOR. 

Dr. Clarke settles in Eastcot — Temporary chapel — Sunday- 
school — The new chapel — The duke of Sussex — The duke's 
Bibliographical library — He invites Dr. Clarke to visit him — 
The visit — A second visit to the duke — The duke returns 
the visits of Dr. Clarke — The levee — Dr. Clarke's acquaint- 
ance with English bishops — A liberal neighbour — Watch- 
Night 

Early in the year 1824, Dr. Clarke removed 
to London from Millbrook, having sold his 
estate there. He was led to this step by the 
fact that most of his children were residing in 
the city. But the noise and the many inter- 
ruptions of the great metropolis were less than 
ever congenial with his feelings since he had 
experienced the pleasures of his retirement at 
Millbrook. Consequently, he purchased a situa- 
tion, in the fall of the same year, in Eastcott, 
about sixteen miles from London. Amidst the 
rural scenery of Hayden Hall, as he named his 
residence, we shall now further follow his his- 
history, and study his character. 

One of his first acts, after his removal, was to 
provide the preaching of the word of life for the 
poor of the neighbourhood. There being no 



178 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

house of worship near, at first, an old coach- 
house and a stable were cleared, and provided 
with rough seats for the use of the preachers. 
He preached the opening sermon, setting forth 
the object of the house of worship, which was, 
he told them, to hold up, through the ministry, 
Christ and the cross, and to gather the children 
into the Sunday-school. All were invited to 
come freely. After the sermon, one of the 
doctor's friends went from house to house, and 
obtained the names of seventy children pledged 
to attend the school. This place of worship 
was soon found to be too small ; a more com- 
modious chapel was consequently erected. How 
natural, even in our day, do the following re- 
marks sound, which were made by Dr. Clarke 
after the Sunday-school was organized in the 
new house: — "Well, now I want books; I 
have got but twenty-four ' Spelling Books,' 
and what are these among so many ? Testa- 
ments I also require. Some of my friends 
have done enough — we can do no more — yet 
books we want, and books we must have. 
There are some young people coming, seven- 
teen and eighteen years of age, who cannot 
read a letter, and yet desire to learn. Some 
of the children would be glad of some hymn 
books, too ; we shall shortly have the songs of 
Zion here. Hallelujah !" 

How great a blessing would have been the 
publications of our Sunday-school Union in 
such a crisis ! These lights to the path of the 



THE DUKE OF SUSSEX. 179 

rising generation had not then dawned upon 
the church. 

Passing from the home and neighbourhood 
of the doctor, let us follow him awhile in 
his intercourse with the learned and distin- 
guished. 

We cannot detail the interesting history of 
the first introduction of Dr. Clarke to the Duke 
of Sussex, brother to the then reigning king, 
George IV. The occasion of their acquaint- 
ance and subsequent intimacy, was their 
mutual interest in the study of the Bible. 
The duke was a distinguished Biblical scho- 
lar. In his library were fifteen hundred 
copies of the Bible, in all languages and edi- 
tions, the most perfect collection, perhaps, in 
the world, costing more than $200,000. When 
sixty-five years of age, he had spent thirty- 
five of them in feeble health. He remarked 
at one time to his friend, Dr. Clarke, that 
he had been accustomed, during this pain- 
ful experience, to read the Bible alone, every 
morning, two hours before breakfast. The 
reader will be interested to view Dr. Clarke, 
for a short time, in his intercourse with such 
a man. We have grouped the several occa- 
sions together, though they a little preceded 
or succeeded the present point of our nar- 
rative. 

The private secretary of the duke having 
had occasion, in the year 1822, to write to Dr. 
Clarke with regard to a matter of literary in- 



180 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

terest, appended the following note : — " The 
duke commands me to say, that he trusts 
whenever you come to London, you will honour 
him with a visit : when he will be proud to show 
you his library, and be most happy to make 
the acquaintance of a man of whose talents and 
character he has so exalted an opinion." 

In May following, Dr. Clarke being in Lon- 
don, he was invited to dine with the duke. 
The doctor went, and was received by his royal 
friend in his private room, and was conducted 
by him through his library, shown many cu- 
rious things, and asked bibliographical ques- 
tions. The doctor's answers the duke requested 
his librarian to note, as "curious and import- 
ant." After dining with the duke, and many 
distinguished friends, the doctor intimated his 
intention of retiring. But he was requested to 
remain till all the company had departed. Dr. 
Clarke closes his account of the visit, in a letter 
to his daughter, by adding : — " When they were 
all gone, the duke sat down on his sofa, and 
beckoned me to come and sit down beside him, 
on his right hand ; and he entered for a con- 
siderable time, into a most familiar conversation 
with me. At last, a servant in the royal livery 
came to me, saying : — ' Sir, the carriage is in 
waiting.' I rose up, and his royal highness rose 
at the same time, took me affectionately by the 
hand, told me I must come and visit him some 
morning when he was alone, which time should 
be arranged between me and his secretary, — 



VISIT TO KENSINGTON PALACE. 181 

bade me a friendly good-night ; and I was then 
conducted by the servant to the door of the 
palace, when lo, and behold ! one of the royal 
carriages was in waiting to carry a Methodist 
preacher, your old weather-beaten father, to his 
own lodgiugs!" 

In April, 1825, the doctor was again invited, 
together with his son, to visit Kensington Pa- 
lace. He received a note from the secretary, 
saying that the duke was anxious to introduce 
him to a very enlightened nobleman, the Duke 
of Hamilton. The visit we will let the doctor 
describe, reminding the reader that he was writ- 
ing to a member of his family, and not for the 
public eye. On his arrival, he says : — 

" The Duke of Sussex soon made his appear- 
ance, for by this time the whole company were 
in the pavilion, and singling me out, took me 
by the hand, and led me forward to two Indian 
gentlemen, saying, 'Here is my friend, Dr. 
Adam Clarke, who will speak Persian or Arabic 
with any of you.' I turned, and taking John 
by the arm, said : — ' May it please your royal 
highness, I have the honour of presenting to 
you my eldest son.' He took him by the hand, 
and bade him welcome, and on the arrival of 
any new guest, introduced both myself and my 
son." 

A few months after this occasion, the Duke of 
Sussex returned Dr. Clarke's visit. He came 
to Haydcn Hall without parade, as a private 
16 



182 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

gentleman, and was received by the doctor in 
that polite but plain manner which became his 
position and his profession. After dining, the 
royal visitor entered the library and museum of 
his friend, and was entertained until a late hour 
there, by the stores of Biblical and other curiosi- 
ties, which the doctor had accumulated through 
a public life of nearly half a century. 

In October, of the succeeding year, the duke 
repeated his visit, dining at Hayden Hall, and 
discussing the character and history of ancient 
Hebrew manuscripts in the possession of Dr. 
Clarke, with all the enthusiasm of a genuine lover 
of the pure Word of God. To the end of the doc- 
tor's life this intimacy continued, by interchange 
of visits, and by letters on learned matters of mu- 
tual interest. The Commentary, in which his 
royal highness took a deep interest, was several 
times the occasion of correspondence. 

By some of the distinguished bishops of the 
Church of England Dr. Clarke's acquaintance 
was sought, on terms of considerable intimacy. 
On one occasion, having just returned from a 
call upon the bishop of London, he remarked 
to a friend, pleasantly, " Yes, I have been with 
the bishop ; but it was not for my son, recol- 
lect ; I shall not ask, in this way, a favour at 
any man's hands." This son, to whom he re- 
fers, became one of the chaplains to the Duke 
of Sussex. 

Turning from these scenes of flattering at- 



A LIBERAL NEIGHBOUR. 183 

tention, we find Dr. Clarke again in the hum- 
ble dwellings of the poor. The winter of 
1829-30 was one of great severity. Many 
families of his own neighbourhood were insuffi- 
ciently clothed and scantily fed. Dr. Clarke 
employed one of his old domestics to go into 
every house, and inquire concerning their 
wants. Then with his own hand did the 
doctor supply their lack of necessary food 
and clothing, until his means were exhausted. 
With a heart still pained at the suffering yet 
unalleviated, he was pondering what next he 
could do, when one of his wealthy neighbours 
gave him a handsome sum to distribute, with 
which he at once went to London, and pur- 
chased flannels, blankets, calicoes, and other 
necessary articles. With these treasures he 
hastened back to Eastcot, and spent three days 
in distributing them to the most necessitous. 

In the spirit of such labour, Dr. Clarke 
commenced the new year. He says, in a let- 
ter to his daughter: "Most of our people went 
to the chapel last evening, to hold a watch- 
night. Mother was not well enough to watch 
in the new year, so I kept watch by myself in 
the parlour, and was in solemn prayer for you 
all, when the clock struck twelve, and for some 
time after. Even to watch by myself I found 
to be a good thing ; I felt that it might be the 
last watch-night I might ever celebrate. Mary, 
dear, pray much to God, and make him your 



184 



LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 



portion. I remained up till the preacher and 
our people returned from the chapel. I had 
an excellent fire, and a good supper for them; 
I made them sit down while I served them my- 
self; they were pleased, and thus we were all 
pleased." 







SHETLAND ISLANDS. 185 



CHAPTER XVII. 

AN APPROPRIATE, LAST LABOUR 

Shetland Islands — A mission to them begun — Dr. Clarke has 
the responsibility for it — A tour in behalf of Shetland — A 
noble donor — Tracts for " Good Little Girls" — A visit to the 
Shetland Islands — Dr. Clarke's solicitude for Shetland — 
Irish free schools — The first school — A new difficulty — En- 
couraging results — Dr. Clarke's visit to Ireland — Sunday- 
schools — Plan of proceeding — A second visit to the Irish 
schools. 

The last labours of Dr. Clarke for the cause 
of Christ extend from the year 1822 to the 
close of his life in 1832. They consisted al- 
most wholly in efforts to open new fields of 
missionary enterprise, and the establishment — 
in the neglected districts of his native country, 
Ireland — of day and Sunday-schools for the 
poor. 

At the conference, in 1822, Dr. Clarke's at- 
tention was directed to the moral condition of 
the Shetland Islands, lying a short distance 
from the northern portion of Scotland. The 
conference missionary funds not allowing the 
establishment of missions immediately in this 
direction, on the credit of the treasury, Dr. 
Clarke began by making applications to a few 



186 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

benevolent persons of his acquaintance for con- 
tributions to commence the enterprise. His 
old friend and coadjutor in every good work, 
Robert Scott, Esq., with his family, gave the 
work a start by the ready offering of $600, 
and a pledge from Mrs. Scott of $50 to- 
ward every chapel which should be built in 
the progress of the mission. Thus encouraged, 
the missionary committee appointed two young 
men as missionaries, and sent them to Dr. 
Clarke for instructions. 

The young men immediately repaired to Dr. 
Clarke's residence, received his suggestions, 
and then proceeded to their appointed work. 
They were at once successful. The islanders, 
25,000 in number, were, in many parts, wholly 
destitute of ministerial labour, and in others 
only occasionally visited by clergymen from 
Scotland. The want of chapels, as the cold 
weather approached, was severely felt. Dr. 
Clarke had directed the missionaries to con- 
tract no debts, for any purpose. Therefore 
the money for the support of the preachers 
and the erection of places of worship, must be 
procured by himself. He immediately com- 
menced a begging tour. He preached, and 
among the multitudes which ever flocked to his 
ministry, he took collections, made private ap- 
peals to the rich, and solicited contributions 
of the products of their business from the 
manufacturer and mechanic, until he himself 



A NOBLE DONOR. 187 

was astonished at the greatness of the work 
which increased upon his hands. He closes 
one of his letters to the missionaries with the 
following words : " Tell me all that concerns 
yourselves and the work. Be steady, — act by 
united counsels, — love one another, — help each 
other, — speak well of each other, — prefer one 
another in love. Act as evangelists, — preach 
Jesus — Jesus, in the plenitude of his salva- 
tion;" and he adds, "I have sent off to you 
about six thousand tracts and pamphlets, and 
I will, if God spare me, see you in the spring." 
The demands of the mission pressing upon 
him at one time beyond his collections, he 
says, " I prayed, called earnestly upon God, 
and sat down and wept till I could scarcely 
see to write or read." He appealed in this 
crisis to his friends, Mr. and Mrs. Scott. Dr. 
Clarke then writes : " They came, and I set 
off in my bad health to London to meet them; 
and oh, what a meeting ! Their hearts were 
nearly as full as mine. Says Mr. Scott, ' Come, 
let me have a check ; I will give orders on my 
bank for $500.' Says Mrs. Scott, ' and I will 
give $25.' ' And I am desired,' says Mr. 
Scott, ' by my sister-in-law, Miss Grainger, to 
give $25, and, lest any chapel begun should 
be impeded, here is $50 more, and thus I will 
give the check for $600. And this is not all 
that I will do. I tell you again, I will give 
$50 to every house or chapel begun under 



188 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

your direction in Shetland.' " Dr. Clarke 
then adds, " I thanked God, — I thanked them ; 
and could have kissed the ground on which 
they trod. I said in my heart, ' my poor 
Shetlanders, (whom I have never seen, and 
now never shall, but God has laid them upon 
my heart,) God has not forgotten you.' " 

In a note, appended to a letter to the mis- 
sionaries about this time, he says: "A little 
half-granddaughter of mine (Caroline Smith) 
is just now dead, — ten years old, and has left 
a most glorious testimony for God. It is now 
in the press, and I will send some for presents 
to good little girls in Shetland." 

Notwithstanding the fear expressed above, 
by Dr. Clarke, that he should never see his 
Shetlanders, he did visit them, with several 
friends of the mission, in 1826, and again in 
1828. His detailed account of these visits is 
full of interest, and exhibits Dr. Clarke's cha- 
racteristic trait of close observation of all which 
was around him, and his ability to gather rich 
treasures of knowledge from every source. 

These mission stations continued to strengthen 
and multiply, until they became an established 
portion of the Wesleyan missionary fields. 
As late as 1831, (about one year before the 
Doctor's death,) when the burden of them was 
still pressing upon him, and when the toils of 
seventy-one years had caused him to antici- 
pate the close of his earthly sojourning, he 



IRISH FREE SCHOOLS. 189 

bids the Shetlanders adieu in the following 
strain : 

" Poor Shetland ! I have worked hard for 
thee; many a quire, — many a ream of paper 
have I written to describe thy wants, and to 
beg for supplies; and several thousands of 
miles have I travelled, in order to raise those 
supplies which by letter I had solicited for 
thee ! It is now t almost done, and almost 
over.' May God raise thee up another friend, 
that will be, if possible, more earnest and 
faithful, and at the same time more success- 
ful ! And now, I must say, may the Holy 
Trinity be thy incessant friend, oh, my poor 
Shetland!" 

The burden of this mission had not been re- 
moved from Dr. Clarke, when a friend, who 
was preaching through the district of country 
in Ireland where Dr. Clarke had preached in 
his youth, desired him to do for the neglected 
children of Ireland what he had done for the 
people of Shetland. His purpose to accept of 
this new labour of love being known, several 
individuals of wealth offered to be responsible 
for the expense of such free schools as should 
be formed under his supervision. Having 
made careful inquiry, the field of operations 
was located in the province of Ulster, in the 
north of Ireland. He found this section of 
the country destitute of schools, and of any 
associations, either religious or benevolent. 



190 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

The population was composed of both Catho- 
lics and Protestants. The Port Rush district 
was selected in which to make the first experi- 
ment. A missionary was sent through it, to 
inquire if the people would have a free school 
on week days, in which their children should 
be taught to read; and Sunday-schools, in 
which they might learn the way to heaven. 
At once the country was awake on the subject. 
They all said, " Yes, let Dr. Clarke send us 
teachers." 

Having with great care obtained men of 
good English education and of tried piety 
for teachers, and having written out a sim- 
ple plan by which the scholars should be re- 
ceived and instructed, and furnished money 
for the preparatory expenses, Dr. Clarke re- 
quested that the work should be at once com- 
menced. The people rallied in great numbers 
at a place appointed, when a new difficulty was 
presented. It was expected that the private 
houses of the poor people themselves would be 
sufficiently large for school-rooms, but no such 
house being found, and not being willing to 
lose the present opportunity, the parents pro- 
posed to occupy a sand-pit, though they were 
already in the piercing cold of December. A 
gentleman who lived near, seeing the zeal of 
the people, and knowing the sand-pit to be 
wholly unsuitable, offered his parlour to the 
teacher until a more proper room could be ob- 



ENCOURAGING RESULTS. 191 

tained. The teacher, out of school-hours, went 
among the parents, reading to them the Scrip- 
tures, praying with them, and exhorting them 
to flee from the wrath to come. This was in- 
deed a new thing, and many of the poor peo- 
ple, who had scarcely ever heard any sort of 
prayer, now learned themselves to pray. The 
numbers of the school increased so rapidly, 
that in two months the parlour became entirely 
too small. A house in the neighbourhood was 
hired, and a hundred children, from four to 
fourteen years of age, were made happy in 
gleaning the rudiments of an education. So 
wicked had been the habits of these children, 
that but few of them could give a simple an- 
swer of yes or no, without taking the name of 
God in vain. The gentleman whose parlour 
was occupied, informed Dr. Clarke, only about 
two months after the schools were established, 
that before the teacher came, the children, 
with their noisy and wicked conduct, were not 
only a nuisance, but a curse. The peaceable 
people were obliged to drive them off from 
depredations, by whips and sticks; and that 
now their voice is not to be heard in the 
streets, and that order and decorum univer- 
sally prevail. 

In the spring following the beginning of this 
good work, Dr. Clarke set out on a visit of 
inspection to the Irish schools, carrying with 
him several teachers, for the purpose of ascer- 



192 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

taining himself, the best locations and opening 
new schools, as well as examining those already 
in operation. He says, " The poor people, 
both Popish and Protestant, were, like true 
sons of Erin — red hot — made glad — to hear 
that their children might, without money and 
without price, be taught to read, spell and 
write their own names ; and where they at last 
found that there was neither religion, devotion, 
nor common sense in sheer ignorance." He 
studiously avoided giving any denominational 
character to the religious instruction in these 
schools, but made it an indispensable condition 
every where, that the Old and New Testaments 
should be read in them, disapproving in strong 
terms of the government plan of leaving the 
Bible out of the schools. Every where he 
made the Sunday-school an attendant upon the 
week-day school. The parents as well as child- 
ren, including even many of the Roman Catho- 
lic population, flocked to these. The great dif- 
ficulty he had to meet, in this part of the work, 
was the lack of suitable teachers, as but few 
were capable of teaching. Upon the instructor 
of the week-day school came most of the Sab- 
bath-school labour at first, but soon pious per- 
sons were raised up to supply this deficiency. 

His plan of opening a new school is thus 
described. " The day previously to that ap- 
pointed for the purpose, the children get warn- 
ing of it, and the parents and children assem- 



MODE OF PROCEEDING. 193 

ble, sometimes in a barn, or, if fine weather, in 
the open air, under the shelter of a hawthorn 
hedge. The intense interest of all on these 
occasions is wonderful, and the gentry offered 
with zeal and rivalship, land or houses on their 
estates, in the recesses of the bogs and moun- 
tains scarcely, indeed, accessible, owing to the 
bad roads, but still swarming with a vast popu- 
lation of children, who, on announcement, came 
pouring down the hills ; the parents were all 
on my right hand, the children on the left, and 
I gave them an impressive address for half an 
hour : at the close, sung and prayed with and 
for them. 

The following description, illustrating his 
mode of proceeding, is quite life-like : — 

" We set off for a place called Croagh, where 
the whole youth of a large and populous dis- 
trict, have long been and still are without educa- 
tion, for there is no school existing of any kind 
for many miles. It was published in the 
county that I was expected there this day in 
order to form a school. When we got within 
a mile of the place, we saw several squads of 
children, with their mothers, coming down the 
hills and over the moors, from all quarters, 
from a mile and a half to two miles, to the 
school house, which is little more than half fin- 
ished, and which is to serve as a centre for the 
conglomeration of these various masses. As 
we could not go into this half built house, we 
17 



194 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

were told that a farmer had prepared a small 
barn, which was about half a mile off; I then 
proclaimed an adjournment to the barn, and 
setting off myself, they all filed after me, both 
the children and their mothers, my companions 
bringing up the rear. When I arrived at the 
place, I addressed the parents out of doors, 
and laid down the general rules and conditions 
on which the children were to be admitted, 
and on which they were to be continued in the 
school. I then, standing at the barn door, 
admitted them one by one into the place to the 
number of 133 ; — introduced the school-master 
to the general assembly ; — gave his character 
and qualifications ; — specified what sort of 
teaching the children were to receive; — the 
discipline under which they were to be brought ; 
how they were to learn their duty to God, to 
their parents, and to each other; — how to pray 
to avoid every evil in word and deed, in spirit, 
temper, and desire ; to be industrious, cleanly 
and orderly ; respectful to their superiors, 
affectionate to their relations, kind and obliging 
to their equals. After a good deal of exhor- 
tation, I then proceeded to bring the child- 
ren out of the barn, laying my hands upon 
their heads, and praying to God for his bless- 
ing upon them all, delivered them again to 
their parents, to be brought back on the mor- 
row in order to be registered in the school, 
classified, &c. — The children were, on the whole, 



SECOND VISIT TO THE IRISH SCHOOLS. 195 

really a fine progeny ; males and females, from 
fourteen to four years of age." 

In the following year, Dr. Clarke again 
visited his schools, then greatly increased in 
number, in scholars, and in influence. But a 
serious illness, while in Ireland, preventing a 
personal examination of them all, he was 
obliged to be content with the report of their 
teachers. The rude but heart-felt tribute of 
respect which these neglected children of 
poverty rendered to their benefactor afforded 
him nobler satisfaction than Napoleon ever felt 
when returning from the conquest of nations. 
Under God, Dr. Clarke had conquered ignorance 
and driven moral darkness from many hearts. 
Where he had been, cleanliness, good order, 
and, in many cases, religious peace, followed. 

These schools, the Sunday as well as the 
week-day schools, were without any secta- 
rian character, and the doctor was, without a 
penny for his services, the agent for the bene- 
volence of a few individuals. After his death 
the Wesleyan Missionary Society took them, 
at the request of. his friends, under their care, 
and continued them much in the same spirit 
with which they had been begun. We may 
remark here, in anticipation of the account of 
Doctor Clarke's death, that he died with his 
hand to this work for the children of his native 
country. Were it not for extending too far 
this narrative, we could give still more evidence 



196 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

that none of the abundant and varied labour 
of his life gave him more satisfaction than 
this. 

Connected with the Shetland and school 
labour in point of time, is Dr. Clarke's revi- 
sion of his Commentary, for a new edition. 
" The author's own and last hand" was put 
to this entire work, a few months before his 
death, and before his last visit to his schools. 
The copyright of the Commentary thus revised, 
after having disposed of large former editions, 
he sold for nine thousand dollars. 




HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE. 197 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

A MORE FAMILIAR ACQUAINTANCE. 

Dr. Clarke's personal appearance — His scholarship — His me- 
mory — His library of printed books : their value — His manu- 
script library : its value — The museum — Dr. Clarke's travelling 
library — The means by which his library and museum were 
obtained — Dr. Clarke's frequent preaching — His character as 
a preacher — His popularity — The relation of his study of the 
Bible to his preaching — Habits of preparation for the pulpit — 
Manner of handling his texts — The great secret of his pulpit 
power — His favourite themes in the pulpit — His manner in 
preaching — Dr. Clarke's habitual kindness — A happy turn of 
an awkward incident — The young lady and the roasted po- 
tato — Feeling towards friends— Love for children — Letter to 
a grandson — Dr. Clarke's pleasantry — His wife could keep a 
secret — The secret of Dr. Clarke's success — His industry — 
Eminent testimonies of his industry — His promptness — An 
anecdote illustrating it — His love of order illustrated — Early 
rising enforced — An anecdote — Dr. Clarke's example may be 
imitated. 

Adam Clarke, in person, was about five feet 
nine inches high, and, in the latter years of his 
life, rather corpulent, — his hair of venerable 
whiteness, brushed back from his forehead, — his 
complexion ruddy, his countenance open, his 
form erect, and step firm. His dress was al- 
ways well adjusted and neat. The black suit 
usually worn by clergymen did not agree well, 



198 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

he thought, with the cheerful character of the 
gospel of which they were ministers. He gen- 
erally appeared in public in the dress of an 
English country gentleman, with top-boots, 
drab breeches, blue coat, with covered or silk 
buttons, pale buff vest, drab hat, and white 
neckcloth. 

We shall not attempt to decide the question of 
the character of his scholarship. We have pre- 
sented the facts of his connection with the ripest 
scholars of his age, not as a passing acquaintance, 
but as an associate, a co-labourer — honoured 
and respected by them through many years. 
These, and other facts which we have detailed, 
must settle the question, in the minds of candid 
men, of his scholarship. That he was profound 
in all the departments of learning with which 
he was acquainted, is more than the most partial 
friendship can claim for him. He did, indeed, 
"intermeddle with all wisdom." That which 
he once learned, he never forgot. He had a 
most remarkable memory. He could, at any 
time, recall the sentiment of any author in his 
very extensive range of reading; and, so exact 
were his habits of order, and -so well arranged 
was every thing in his own mind, that he could 
tell in what connection these sentiments stood, 
and would often go to his library, and take 
down at once the book in which they were con- 
tained, and turn to the page on which they were 
found. 



HIS LIBRARY. 199 

But the most remarkable feature of his in- 
tellectual character was, the power to use the 
results of his varied study, without apparent ex- 
ertion, in the practical duties of the ministry — 
both in what he spoke and wrote for the good 
of men. It came at his bidding so readily, and 
fitted into its place so naturally, that it was use- 
ful to the learned and unlearned. 

His library of printed works was set up in 
five rooms, and included about ten thousand 
volumes. Here were the best editions of the 
classic authors of Greece and Rome, valuable 
standard works in a great variety of languages, 
but especially the pure word of God, and what- 
ever might illustrate its pages, of criticism or 
history. This part of his library was valued at 
$15,000.* The manuscript library was one of 
the most extensive private collections in the 
world, and was valued at about $8000. Some 
of the manuscripts dated as early as A. D. 1024, 



* The printed books actually brought, after the doctor's de- 
cease, in an auction sale of ten days' continuance, £3,200, and 
the manuscripts £180 more, making the considerable sum of 
£5000, or not far from $28,000. We are safe in estimating the 
value of the library and museum at $25,000. Some of the 
books and manuscripts sold for more and some for less than 
their value : the following were among the former class, we 
should think : — A famous manuscript Bible, translated into the 
English language, by Wiclif, in two volumes, brought £100; 
Biblia Sacra Polyglotta, £57; a copy of the first complete edi- 
tion of the English Bible, by Coverdale, £63 ; a copy of Eras- 
mus' New Testament, which cost the doctor one shilling, 
brought £10 15s. 



200 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

and but few as late as the eighteenth century. 
In the museum, were to be found curiosities 
from ancient Greece and Rome, including 
coins, monuments and mosaics — Indian, Bur- 
mese, Egyptian and Chinese idols, — medals, — 
several fac similes of ancient charters, maps and 
charts, and a valuable collection of minerals, 
among which were rare specimens of precious 
stones. 

While speaking of Dr. Clarke's library, we 
should not have omitted to notice his travelling 
library. It was packed closely, in a case made 
for the purpose, and comprised the following 
volumes : — A Greek and Latin Testament, a 
Septuagint, Hebrew Bible, Pawsham's edition 
of the English Bible, 1776, — Horace, Virgil, 
and a small copy of the English Prayer Book. 
These books were the companions of his fre- 
quent excursions to Ireland, the Shetland 
Islands, and in his tours throughout Eng- 
land. 

The question has, perhaps, occurred to our 
readers while we have been giving this account 
of the size and value of Dr. Clarke's library 
and museum, by what means could an indivi- 
dual in his profession obtain such a collec- 
tion? 

The secret of his finding opportunities is, no 
doubt, in the application of his unequalled in- 
dustry in this direction, having continued his 
accumulations for full half a century. The 



HIS STYLE OF PREACHING. 201 

money was obtained by the profits of his 
publications, although several valuable manu- 
scripts were given away, the profits to be ap- 
plied to benevolent purposes. Besides all this, 
his being known as a collector of curious and 
ancient things and a judge of rare and valua- 
ble books, would induce many persons to give 
him such things as presents. 

The frequent preaching of Dr. Clarke must 
have excited the astonishmeut of our readers, 
especially when considered in connection with 
his other labours. From 1782 to 1808, a pe- 
riod of twenty-six years, he preached upon an 
average, two sermons for every three days. 
When we remember the several occasions, during 
these years, of prostrating sickness with which 
he suffered, the question will be prompted, 
how could it be done? We shall attempt to 
answer this question, while portraying more 
fully than we have done, his character as a 
preacher. 

Dr. Clarke possessed a ready utterance, and 
an exhaustless flow of cheerful feeling, which 
no degree of toil, nor even the enfeebling in- 
fluence of old age could destroy, nor much 
abate. These gave a freshness to his pulpit 
ministrations which awakened a corresponding 
feeling in his hearers. While his heart was 
burning with the message he brought, he could 
not be at a loss for something to say. This 
feeling was stimulated, no doubt, by the im- 



202 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

mense crowds which, from the first to the last 
day of his public life, waited upon his minis- 
try. These multitudes were both the conse- 
quence and the cause of his thought and ex- 
pression. 

The evidence of this popularity is abundant. 
Having an appointment to preach at Bandon, 
Ireland, he proceeded thither with some of his 
friends. " Had a prince entered the town, 
scarcely greater tokens of respectful recognition 
could have been shown. Persons were posted 
all along the street by which the carriages en- 
tered from Cork, who had been eagerly awaiting 
his arrival. Friends and strangers were col- 
lected from every part of the circuit, extend- 
ing thirteen miles, and several had travelled 
thirty miles to hear the word of life from his 
lips." 

It is said that any chapel of the Wesleyan 
connection (and some of them accommodated 
immense multitudes) would be crowded, irre- 
spective of the hour or the weather, on the an- 
nouncement of his name to preach, though the 
hour might be five o'clock in the morning, (as 
was often the case,) and on one of the work- 
ing days of the week. The record of his death 
in the conference minutes contains the remark, 
that " No man, in any age of the church, was 
ever known, for so long a period, to have at- 
tracted larger audiences." But the stimulus 
of animated feeling, and varied and large au- 



HIS PULPIT POWER. 203 

diences, can account, but in a small degree, for 
his ability of frequent and successful preaching. 
His constant study of the Word of God was a 
more important means. All the studies of his 
life were pursued in reference to the illustration 
of that Word ; and were, therefore, in their in- 
fluences upon his mind and heart, a constant 
preparation for the pulpit. Thus, his stores of 
knowledge brought to his public ministrations, 
though so multiplied, a surprising variety. He 
seldom preached from the same text the second 
time, and when the theme of a former discourse 
came up, as it often must, it was so varied, and 
in a relation so new, that the hearers who had 
listened to it before, had their interest quick- 
ened thereby, rather than lessened. This habit 
of keeping the fountain always full with that 
food for the heart and mind which had a direct 
relation to his public office, took the place, to 
a considerable extent, of immediate preparation. 
Yet he by no means neglected a specific ar- 
rangement of his thoughts before entering the 
pulpit. In this collecting of his mind he became 
absorbed. While walking to the house of God, 
or entering the private room, (always connected 
with the pulpit in England,) he engaged in no 
conversation, nor did he seem to be aware 
of what was passing around him. He never 
wrote out fully, as a preparation, what he 
was to preach ; but with well arranged ideas, he 
left the mode of utterance to the warmth of 



204 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

the moment. His manner of handling his 
subject was rather expository, though not 
strictly so. 

Another source of his pulpit power was a 
natural strength of mind, to which few could 
lay claim, and which no study can create — 
though in genius, as a preacher, he had his 
superiors in his own day. Yet, in power 
over the masses, he excelled ; or, to use his 
own expression, " out-congregationed" them 
all. 

But we have not yet given the most impor- 
tant cause of his ability to preach often and 
to preach well. It was undoubtedly the extra- 
ordinary degree of the Holy Spirit's influence 
with which he was favoured. He lived spirit- 
ually near to God, and seemed always to feel 
" Thou God seestme !" Under this influence 
he aimed to reach the heart, and to bring men 
to Christ. His sentiments on this subject, 
which were exhibited in his practice, he thus 
expresses : — " The only preaching worth any 
thing, in God's account, and which the fire will 
not burn up, is that which labours to convict 
and convince the sinner of his sin, to bring him 
into contrition for it, to convert him from it ; to 
lead him to the blood of the covenant, that his 
conscience may be purged from its guilt, — to 
the spirit of judgment and burning, that he may 
be purified from its infection — and then to build 
him up on this most holy faith, by causing him 



HIS POPULAKITY. 205 

to pray in the Holy Ghost, and keep himself 
in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our 
Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. This sys- 
tem is that alone which God will own in the 
conversion of sinners. I speak from the expe- 
rience of nearly fifty years in the public min- 
istry of the Word ; this is the most likely method 
to produce the active soul of divinity. Labour to 
bring sinners to God, should you by it bring 
yourself to the grave." 

Dr. Clarke's written sermons differed widely 
from those which were spoken. The former 
were prepared in the study, and to be studied. 
He never carried the show of learning into the 
pulpit. He dwelt much there on the great fun- 
damental truths respecting which the Christian 
world generally agree. The depravity of man, 
the supreme divinity of Christ, his death to save 
men, and salvation through faith in his blood 
alone, were his favourite themes. While his 
thoughts were rich, and gratified the learned 
and intellectual, they were expressed with so 
much simplicity of language and cordiality of 
feeling, that they edified and delighted the most 
illiterate and feeble disciple. An old lady in 
the Shetland Isles remarked : — " I had heard 
that Dr. Clarke was a great man, and very 
learned ; but when I heard him, I found him 
just like any other man. I could understand 
every word he said." His voice was clear and 
strong, but not trained by the arts of the elocu- 
18 



206 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

tionist — his gestures few and not remarkably 
expressive. He had the appearance in the pul- 
pit of one having something to say, and a heart 
which burned with it, and it found expression 
in the voice and manner, in the readiest and 
most natural way. 

We need not add any illustrations of Dr. 
Clarke's moral integrity and genuine piety. 
If the facts of these pages teach any thing, 
they teach that he was ready to maintain his 
integrity with a martyr's faithfulness, and 
that he maintained his piety by an humble 
faith. 

In speaking of his love for friends, he 
says : " God has given me a body and a mind 
that have gone through a great deal ; — I can 
live sparingly — do with little raiment — with 
little sleep, and very little food, but there 
is one thing I never have been able to live 
without, — My Friends. Next to God himself, 
I must have these or I could not live." 

But in no way, perhaps, was his habitual 
kindness more manifest than when surrounded 
with a group of frolicking children. With a 
natural dignity which won respect, and. a play- 
fulness that secured their sympathy and love, 
he made himself exceedingly popular with the 
little folks. He would form a semicircle of them 
about the fire in the evening, and relate some 
Eastern tale, or incident in his own eventful 
life — and no one could better tell a story, 



LETTER TO HIS GRANDSON. 207 

whether to old or young people — always draw- 
ing from it such instruction, as to profit as well 
as amuse. With the girls he would enter into 
their interest in a doll, and with the boys, into 
theirs in a game of cricket, as happily as any 
of them. 

The following letter to his grandson breathes 
the same spirit : — 

My Dear Little Grandson, — - 

Your father and mother tell me you are fond 
of birds, especially pretty little birds, that have 
pretty feathers — blue, green, yellow, red, fine 
glossy black, and fair lily white, with nice bills 
and beautiful legs ; but your mamma tells me 
that you have but one such bird ; what a pity, 
when you love it so well, and would take great 
care of others also, if you had them. Well, 
my dear Adam, I have many very beautiful 
birds which have been sent me from countries 
very far off, and they were sent me by very 
good people who love me, and I will give some 
of them to you, Adam, because I love you. 
Now T , my dear Adam, I much like these little 
birds. Is it because they have very beautiful 
feathers, and beaks, and legs ? or because, 
when they were alive, they sang so delightful- 
ly, ran so fast, and flew so swiftly ? All this 
indeed I love, but I love them most because it 
was the same good God who made them that 
made myself; and he who feeds me, feeds them 
also, and takes care of them; and he made 



208 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

them beautiful, that you and I and all people, 
might be pleased with their fine feathers and 
sweet singing. Now, a man who has a great 
deal of money may go to a place where people 
sing for money; or have music in the house, 
such as your dear Cecilia plays ; but there are a 
great many poor people in the world who have 
scarcely money enough to buy bread when they 
are hungry, or clothes to keep them warm in 
the cold weather. Now, my dear, these cannot 
hire people to sing, nor can they have music 
in their houses, like your mamma, yet they 
love to hear music ; so would it not be a pity 
that they should not have some also ? See, 
then, why the good God who made you, formed 
so many fine birds, with such sweet voices to 
sing the sweetest songs ; these are the poor 
mans music, they sing to him for nothing ! 
They do not even ask a crumb of bread from 
the poor man ; and when he is going to work 
in the morning, they sing to encourage him; 
and when he is returning home in the evening 
very weary, because he has worked very hard, 
they sing again that he may be pleased and not 
grieve nor fret. Now, is not God very good 
for making these pretty little musicians to en- 
courage and comfort the poor labouring man ? 
And will you not then love this God who made 
them for so kind a purpose ? 

Now you must know, Adam, that I am very 
fond of these nice little birds ; and often take 
crumbs of bread and scatter them under the 



THE SECRET OF HIS SUCCESS. 209 

windows, that they may come and pick them 
up ; and I once put a stick in the ground be- 
fore the parlour window, with a cross stick 
upon the top of it, just like your letter T that 
you have been learning in your A, B, C, and 
often would I lift up the window and cry, 
"Bobby, Bobby," and the sweet redbreast, so 
soon as he could hear my voice, would fly near 
the window and sit on the cross stick ; and 
then I left the crumbs and bits of cheese, of 
which they are very fond, upon the ledge of 
the window, and when I had shut down the 
sash, then Bobby would come and eat them all 
up ! I have told you before, that I love little 
birds ; yes, I love them even when they are 
dead ; and I get their skins stuffed, and made 
to look just as if the birds were alive. Now 
I send you several of these beautiful stuffed 
birds, and they shall be your own, and you 
shall take care of them, and keep them for 
the sake of your loving and affectionate grand- 
father, 

Adam Clarke. 

In considering the secret of the success of a 
man who has accomplished much for the good 
of his fellow man, it is not easy to designate 
any one element in his character. There is 
generally a combination of many. But still, 
one trait may stand forth more prominently 
than the rest, and be more easily connected 
18* 



210 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

with his success. The industry of Dr. Clarke 
was such a trait. If this was not the whole 
cause of his greatness and usefulness, without 
it, he would not have been distinguished. 
There was a natural strength of mind, — a 
marked ability — which prompted his unre- 
mitted application; but this again was cul- 
tivated with a diligence, which all can imi- 
tate, that roused and expanded every faculty 
with which he was gifted. His industry aston- 
ished his contemporaries and drew from them 
frequent expressions of surprise. The influ- 
ence of his example and precepts in this re- 
spect, was felt by all he associated with. An 
indolent person could not long be his compan- 
ion, nor endure his society. An economist of 
time himself, he could not bear to see it wasted 
by others ; and even when his little grand- 
children were around him for a time, he always 
kept them engaged according to their ability. 
To one he would give a book of pictures to 
look over, — to another different bits of coloured 
stones, or paper, to arrange on the floor, — to a 
third a piece of board with a hammer and nails, 
to drive in and pull out again ; in order that 
even their infancy should not know the evils 
of idleness." 

A necessary part of his industry was his 
promptness in the discharge of duty. He 
answered letters as soon as they were received ; 
and in this way wrote, on an average, during 



HIS PROMPTNESS. 211 

one of the years of his presidency in the Con- 
ference, an official letter every day, besides an 
extensive general correspondence. 

He says, " I never lost a coach or a boat in 
my life, by being behind the time of their de- 
parture." Railroads of more recent days, 
would have tried his punctuality still more, but 
yet we think he would not have "missed the 
cars." 

A catalogue of books having been sent to 
him late one evening, he immediately looked it 
over, and saw advertised a rare and valuable 
book. Early the next morning he was at the 
book-store, and secured the prize. A few mo- 
ments after a distinguished literary friend 
called for the same purpose, but the book was 
gone. Taking Dr. Clarke's residence in his 
way on his return, he called for a sight of the 
work. 

" Ah, Doctor," he exclaimed, "you have 
been fortunate ; but how did you secure it ? I 
was at the book-store directly after break- 
fast." 

" But I was there before breakfast," replied 
Dr. Clarke. 

A habit of doing every thing in an orderly 
manner was an attendant of Dr. Clarke's in- 
dustry. An intimate friend of his, having just 
left the study, was about to sit down at the 
breakfast-table. 

"You are wanted in my study," said the 
doctor. 



212 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

The person immediately proceeded to the 
study, looked around, but seeing no one, re- 
turned, saying, "Who wants me, sir? I find 
no one there." 

" Did you not see a book on the library ta- 
ble, which insisted on again being put in its 
proper place?" replied the doctor, so good- 
naturedly that no offence was given, while the 
lesson on order was not likely to be forgotten. 

Early rising being a subject of conversation 
with a young friend, the latter remarked that 
he found it impossible to convert the practice 
of very early rising into that source of enjoy- 
ment which it seemed to be to the doctor; 
that he had been protesting and praying 
against it for several years, but it still lin- 
gered, and seemed to be an inveterate evil. 

" My dear brother," said the doctor, "you 
have entirely misapprehended the case. The 
remedy is simple, and of easy application. 
Now, instead of lying in bed and praying on 
the subject of early rising, I get up at the ap- 
pointed time, dress myself, and go at once to 
my study and my books. If you take my 
advice, you will act, in future, on the same 
maxim." 

Thus industry, — combined with its relative 
habits of order, promptness, and early rising, — 
was an important secret, if not the great cause 
of Dr. Clarke's distinction. This is not only 
imitable, but it will be as valuable to any of 



HIS EXAMPLE MAY BE IMITATED. 213 

our young readers, as it was to Dr. Clarke. 
Not that they may accomplish as much as he 
did, but their ability may be as much quickened 
and enlarged by it. We may desire his fair 
fame. Are' we willing to pay the price he 
paid? 



t 



214 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

THE CLOSING SCENE. 

The testimony of Dr. Clarke's last years — The seasons of his 
life — Continued love for the Bible — Recollections — He did 
not hope to be saved by what he had done — The testimony 
of the poet Montgomery — Dr. Clarke at the Wesleyan Con- 
ference — Leaves for home on account of the prevalence of 
the cholera — Settles his business — His last attendance at the 
family altar — His last interview with his children and grand- 
children — Parting moments at Hayden Hall — Attacked by 
cholera — The closing scene. 

It is customary to give the dying experience 
of Christians, in confirmation of the excellence 
of our holy religion. This is well. But if we 
give Dr. Clarke's views, while yet in health, 
of the service of Christ, though standing know- 
ingly on the very verge of the grave, it will be 
a testimony scarcely less solemn and weighty. 
He was now old, and his life had been given, 
from youth to hoary age, to God. Little was 
left but the solemn opening of eternal scenes. 
How did that life appear to him in the retro- 
spect, and that eternity now so near? We 
preface the account of his death with a few 
declarations on this point, from his own lips. 

Dr. Clarke was visiting Port Stuart, and 



THE SEASONS OF HIS LIFE. 215 

viewing the shore near which he was so nearly 
drowned. Turning from contemplating the 
great deep, he cut out, on a pane of glass, 
with the point of a diamond, in a careful hand, 
the following lines : 

" THE SEASONS OF ADAM CLARKE S LIFE. 

"I have enjoyed the spring of life, — 
I have endured the toils of its summer — 
I have culled the fruits of its autumn — 
I am now passing through the rigours of its winter— 
And I am neither forsaken of God 
Nor abandoned of man. 

I see, at no great distance, the dawn of a new day, 
The first of a spring that shall be eternal ! 
It is advancing to meet me ! 
I run to embrace it ! 
Welcome ! welcome ! eternal spring ! 

Hallelujah !" 

We have, in the following records, his last 
testimony concerning the excellence of the 
Bible, over which so many days of study and 
toil had been spent. 

" In jperpetuam rei memoriam.* I have 
lived more than three-score years and ten. I 
have travelled a good deal, by sea and land. 
I have conversed with, and seen many people, 
in, and from many different countries. I have 
studied all the principal religious systems in the 
world. I have read much, thought much, and rea- 

* " For a perpetual memorial." 



216 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

soned much ; and the result is, I am persuaded 
of the simple, unadulterated truth of no book but 
of the Bible, and of the excellence of no system 
of religion but that contained in the Holy Scrip- 
tures ; and especially, Christianity, which is re- 
ferred to in the Old Testament, and fully re- 
vealed in the New." He expresses himself in 
the same spirit in a letter to a young friend : 

"After having, for more than half a cen- 
tury, read the Bible so much, I formed the re- 
solution in January, 1830, to read the Bible 
through once more, beginning with the first 
chapter of Genesis, and the first of Matthew, 
binding myself to read a chapter of each every 
day. I read the New Testament in Greek, 
and the Old Testament in English, comparing 
it, occasionally, with the Hebrew. I bind my- 
self to one chapter in each, daily; but I often 
read more, and have, since the first of last Jan- 
uary, read over the five books of Moses and the 
four Gospels. This I find very profitable. 

At the close of the year he speaks of the 
results of this resolution. The Greek I read 
alone, and every word aloud, to accustom my- 
self to speak it regularly and correctly — for 
the facility of speaking either it or any other 
language would be soon lost without this. I 
thought it might be the last year I might be 
permitted to go through again with the Book 
of God ; and if so, I would take my leave of it 
in full. Some days I read two chapters in the 



RECOLLECTIONS. 217 

Old Testament and one in the New. On other 
days I could not do so much; but there were 
some in which I could do much more, and read 
four or five. This got me a little before-hand, 
when I had to travel. At the conference I 
was a little back ; but as I rose early, I accom- 
plished the whole in the course of the year, in 
the midst of travelling, preaching, writing, and 
other employment. 

During his last journey to Ireland in behalf 
of his schools, being in indifferent health, and 
weary from incessant travelling and preaching, 
he thus expresses his feelings : — 

" My youthful days were spent in labour ; 
my manhood in hard and incessant toil ; and 
now my old age is consuming fast away in tra- 
vail and care; and when care is unavoidably 
crowned by anxiety, the taper of life must 
soon sink in its socket. An active mind will 
ever say, ' Better wear out than rust out;' but 
there is a difference between wear out and 
grind out. The one implies regular, though 
continual labour; the other extra employment, 
and violent exercise. When I look back upon 
my three-score and ten years, I must say, I 
find little wearing. All has been grinding 
with me. Strong attrition has acted on every 
part, and my candle has been lighted at both 
ends. Under the blessing of God, I have 
been the former of my own fortune. I have 
never been importunate for wealth or favour. 



218 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

I have not been troublesome to any. I have 
not eaten my bread for nought, nor have I 
eaten my morsel alone. Often have the neces- 
sities of others fallen upon me, and strangely 
has God supported me under them. The Lord 
knoweth the way that I take, and when he 
hath tried me I shall come forth as gold; 
only speak thou the word, and thy servant 
heareth." 

At another time, after noticing several par- 
ticulars connected with his personal history as 
a Christian, and the accessions which had been 
made to his literary stores, he said, " If I had 
the offer of millions of money, on condition that 
the knowledge of these things, their associa- 
tions, and the feelings excited by them, should, 
in the recollection, be as though they were not, 
I would at once say, take your millions, and 
preserve to me this knowledge. If I had it in 
my power to change any of the scenes and 
associations through which I have passed, I 
would not alter one iota that has come in this 
way." 

Though he thus speaks of himself, the fol- 
lowing declaration to a friend, — almost a 
dying testimony, — will show with what he 
connected all the good he had been enabled 
to do: — 

" My record is with God, who knows as well 
my sincerity and uprightness, as he knows my 
worthlessness and weakness, — nor have I ever 



DID NOT BOAST IN WHAT HE HAD DONE. 219 

sought to balance these in order to have the 
cold consolation, ' 1 stand, if not in the list of 
merit, yet among the blameless.' No. I said 
to my God, ' Thou knowest the way that I 
take; I have endeavoured to promote thy 
glory by striving to do good to thy creatures 
redeemed by the blood of thy Son; but, in 
these respects, I cannot stand with uncovered 
face before thee; and thou knowest that my 
heart says more forcibly than my voice can 
say, ' God be mericiful to me, a sinner.' 

" God never needed my services. He brought 
me into the world that I might receive good 
from him and do good to my fellows. This is 
God's object in reference to all human beings, 
and should be the object of every man in refer- 
ence to his brother. This is the whole of my 
practical creed. God, in his love, gave me a 
being ; in his mercy he has done every thing 
he should do to make it a well-being. He has 
taught me to love him by first loving me ; and 
has taught me to love my neighbours as my- 
self, by inspiring me with his own love." 

" thou incomprehensible Jehovah, thou 
eternal Word, the ever-enduring and all per- 
vading Spirit — Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ! 
in the plenitude of thy eternal Godhead, in 
thy light, I, in a measure, see Thee ; and in 
thy condescending nearness to my nature, I 
can love Thee for Thou hast loved me. In thy 
strength may I begin, continue and end every 



220 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

design, and every work, so as to glorify Thee, 
by showing how much thou lovest man, and 
how much man may be ennobled by loving 
Thee! ? ' 

We shall close these notices of Dr. Clarke's 
religious feeling, in his last years, by the testi- 
mony of another, who witnessed one of his last 
public labours, a few weeks only before his 
death — the testimony of one, not of his own 
branch of Christ's church, but extensively 
known where Christian poetry is loved — the 
late James Montgomery. The words which 
follow were spoken by him in a public meeting 
in Sheffield, in reference to Dr. Clarke's last 
ministrations there : 

" Few probably are here now, who will not 
call to mind one who was among us, on a like 
occasion, last year — one who, by his sermons 
from the pulpit on the Sabbath, his address at 
the public meeting on the Monday, and his 
farewell to the breakfast party next morning, 
most effectually served the cause w T hich he was 
engaged to plead, by making those who had 
the privilege of hearing him, determine to 
render their own services more effective thence- 
forward ; witnessing, as they did, the zeal, 
faith and love of that venerable disciple towards 
the close of his career." 

"Who among us does not remember — nay, 
which of us can forget — the two discourses re- 
ferred to ? the simple energy wdth which they 



CHARACTER OF HIS PREACHING. 221 

were poured forth, the unction of the Holy 
One which accompanied them, and the devout 
feeling so interfused as to overpower the sense 
of admiration which the learning, the love, the 
transcendent ability displayed in the composi- 
tion, were calculated to excite. Then his ad- 
dress to the meeting from this platform, though 
uttered under the pressure of great bodily 
weakness, was hallowed throughout by such 
demonstration of the Spirit and of power, as to 
leave an imperishable recollection of its influ- 
ence upon our minds ; while, with patriarchal 
grace, he told the simple tale of his own early 
experience of the gospel, and showed how it 
constrained him to sally forth, boy as he was, 
among the mountains and valleys, to the ham- 
lets and scattered huts, in the wild neighbour- 
hood where he was born, with New Testament 
and hymn book in hand, preaching and pray- 
ing, reading and singing, wherever he could 
collect a few peasants, or women and children 
about him to hearken to his voice, or join with 
him in worship. The scene, too, after the 
breakfast, in the adjacent vestry, was most 
touching and impressive. He knew not how to 
give over, while from the fulness of his heart, 
his mouth spake. His last words — of which 
more and more fell from his lips as he lingered 
in the room, and could not depart without again 
and again exhorting the company to diligence 
and fidelity to the service of God — those last 



222 LIFE OP ADAM CLARKE. 

words left a blessing behind which can never 
be taken away from those on whom it descend- 
ed ; even as Elijah, before he was carried up 
to heaven in the chariot of fire already waiting 
for him, may be supposed to have turned back 
and spread abroad his hands in benediction 
towards the sons of the prophets who tarried 
on the other side of Jordan, while he on whom 
his mantle was to fall, accompanied him to the 
farther side. Such was Adam Clarke when 
we last beheld him." 

Our biographical narrative is now closed. 
There remains only the sad duty of relating 
how the venerable servant of God passed the 
Jordan of death. 

Though in feeble health, he attended the 
Wesleyan Conference, in Liverpool, the latter 
part of July, 1832. Strong expressions of 
Christian love and confidence passed between 
him and his brethren in the ministry. He oc- 
cupied the chair of the president during his 
temporary absence, and preached the annual 
sermon before the conference at the repeated 
unanimous vote of that body. Thus having 
taken, unconsciously, his last leave of his bre- 
thren in the ministry of the Word, he hastened 
away, before the close of the sittings of the 
conference, assigning as a reason, not only his 
own health, but the desire he had to be with 
his family during the prevalence of the cholera, 
which was then making fearful ravages around 



ALARMED BY THE CHOLERA. 223 

him. " God," said he, "is visiting this nation, 
he is visiting this town, which has become a 
place of death ; he has long had a reckoning 
with us as a land ; we are in the midst of dis- 
ease ; it is in the metropolis ; my house will 
be filled with children — there is no barricading 
the house against the scourge — I must go and 
be with them." 

Just before his departure for home, while in 
the house of a friend, the cholera being the 
subject of conversation, it was remarked, by a 
person present, that the wife of one of the 
preachers had suffered much from fear of the 
cholera, but was delivered from that fear by 
the application of the following text of Scrip- 
ture to her, which she received as a revelation 
from God, that she should not be touched by 
the cholera — "A thousand shall fall at thy 
side and ten thousand at thy right hand ; but 
it shall not come nigh thee," &c. Ps. xci. The 
doctor rebuked this interpretation by saying, 
" Mrs. H. may have such an impression, and 
she may believe she has been told so, but this 
I know, that God has not so spoken to me." 

Deeply convinced that he might at any mo- 
ment be called from his connection with the 
church on earth, he had, before leaving the 
conference, transferred all his responsibilities 
for the Shetland Mission to them, and made 
arrangements to confide to the same care his 
Irish schools, which had until now been in 



224 LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 

their management, on his sole responsibility. 
His moniecl accounts were all brought into the 
most exact order, with as much promptness as 
if he knew he was about to retire from earthly 
scenes. 

On the 21st of August, the doctor arrived at 
Hayden Hall. In his morning and evening 
worship with his family, he invariably prayed, 
in reference to the cholera, that each and all 
might be preserved from its influence or pre- 
pared for sudden death. On Saturday, Au- 
gust 25th, he summoned his family as usual, 
for morning devotions. He commenced with 
these words, " We thank thee, heavenly Fa- 
ther, that we have a blessed hope through 
Christ of entering into thy glory." Having 
an engagement at Bayswater, to preach on 
Sabbath morning, his friend, Mr. Hobbs, of 
that place, came with a carriage to carry him 
to his house for the night. Dr. Clarke had, 
but four days before, visited all his children, 
kissed most affectionately his grand-children, 
and literally blessed, as was his custom, in the 
name of God, his own children and theirs. 
On stepping into the carriage, he gave a piece 
of silver to a servant, for "poor Mrs. Fox," a 
sick and now dying neighbour, whose sufferings 
his charity and attention had for a long time 
alleviated, inquiring at the same after her 
spiritual welfare. When told that she was 
peacefully trusting in Christ, he exclaimed. 



HIS DEATH. 225 

" Praise God," and left his own gate — forever. 
Could a farewell have been more fitting, had 
it been known to be such ! 

On his arrival at Bayswater, he was much 
fatigued, and spoke but little. He retired 
early. About six o'clock the next morning he 
came down and requested the servant to call 
Mr. Hobbs. He found Dr. Clarke standing 
with his great coat on, and ready for a journey. 
Addressing Mr. Hobbs, he said, " My dear fel- 
low, you must get me home directly ; without 
a miracle I could not preach ; get me home — I 
want to be home." It was soon found neces- 
sary to call for a physician, who pronounced the 
disease to be the cholera. When Mrs. Clarke 
entered the room, about four in the afternoon, 
he was only able to extend his hand towards 
her; and, on the appearance of Mrs. Hook, 
one of his daughters, he opened his eyes and 
strove to clasp his fingers upon her hand. 
The disease baffied all human skill; and, at 
twenty minutes before eleven o'clock, in the 
stillness of a Sabbath night, in the seventy- 
second year of his age, Adam Clarke fell 
"asleep in Jesus." 

The text from which he had proposed to 
preach that Sabbath was legibly written upon 
some paper which was left upon his table at 
home ; he had evidently intended to write out 
his thoughts upon it for preservation. It was 
this — " Verily, verily I say unto you, the hour 



226 



LIFE OF ADAM CLARKE. 



is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear 
the voice of the Son of God; and they that 
hear shall live." John x. In the burying- 
ground, behind the Wesleyan Chapel, City 
Road, London, in an humble grave, next to 
the vault in which repose the ashes of the vene- 
rable John Wesley, all that was mortal of 
Adam Clarke lies buried. 

" Servant of God, well done ! 
Thy glorious warfare's past ; 
The battle's fought, the race is won, 
And thou art crowned at last." 




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